it seals your fate
by freedomatsea
Summary: Thanksgiving isn't much fun for someone who doesn't have family to spend it with, which is exactly why Emma Swan decides to get the hell out of Boston for the holiday. Except maybe that pull has more to do with someone who is waiting for her in the little town that's calling out to her. Once Upon a Time mythos, Norse lore, and the supernatural creatures that go bump in the night.
1. Chapter 1

**Notes: **The notes for this one are going to be quite hefty. I've been planning to write something werewolf!Killian for several months, but I hadn't really brainstormed up any ideas for it. Originally it was just going to be some smutty little one-shot that probably would have been about 1.5k and not very elaborate (as close to a PWP as I can write). But as I was driving home last night I started thinking back to the beginning of summer when I was on vacation. I got to see a place that a lot of you are actually very familiar with (even though t.v. has sort of exaggerated what's up there). So, I present you with this multi-chapter Captain Swan piece, which combines the essence of Once Upon a Time with the supernatural lore I've come to love so much in my life.

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><p><em>I've felt pleasure without pain.<em>_  
><em>_My soul you'll never tame!__  
><em>_Love bites, but so do I._

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><p><em>Thanksgiving<em>.

It's a great holiday for people who have families and loved ones and places to travel to when they're off work. But for Emma it typically meant laying around her apartment from Wednesday to Sunday, dodging Hallmark movies, watching reruns _Gilmore Girls_, and binge watching the last two seasons of _Parks and Rec_. This year, she'd vowed back at New Year's she was going to do something different. She'd had grand plans of tagging along to Thanksgiving dinner with her friends, but this year they neglected to ask her. She couldn't blame them – after five years of begging her, she would have given up too. Sure, she could have asked and they would have _joyously _agreed to take her with them, but she took it as fate's way of saying she needed to think outside of the box.

At two in the morning on Wednesday, after closing her last case of the month, she got a wild hair to get the hell out of Boston and drive down to New York City. She hadn't really thought through the fact that New York City does this _huge_ thing called the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade which meant every hotel within the city limits was booked up for the entire long weekend.

After spending half the day driving around outside of the city, trying to find a hotel room, Emma had all but given up when she pulled up to the _last _hotel she had the energy to visit. It was perched up on the top of a steep slope, an hour outside of New York City, in Tarrytown. The town itself wasn't much to see, but she was bound and determined not to just sit in her hotel room and order delivery pizza (mainly because that had been her dinner for the past two nights).

The town was quaint and a far cry from the city buzz she'd been anticipating for her break. But it wasn't Boston and it was far enough away that she knew she wasn't going to see a familiar face. Especially in a little drive-straight-through town like Tarrytown.

She wandered around the streets, window shopping in the stores which had already closed up for the holiday. The only place in the entire town that seemed to be open, was a whole-in-the-wall sort of diner, with the affectionate name of _Granny's _glowing in neon lights above it.

It was better than sitting in her hotel room eating her third pizza of the week.

The diner was _exactly_ the sort of place you expect in small town America. The waitresses were all dressed alike in varying lengths of red skirts, white blouses, and hair tied up in ponytails. Emma remembered those days. A sketchy diner in Arizona had been the only place to give her a place of work after she got out of jail. As soon as she'd had enough money, she got the hell out of dodge fast.

She ordered a cup of hot coca, with her signature sprinkle of cinnamon atop the whipped cream, while she mulled over her dinner options. She could have Thanksgiving dinner – with the full work of fixings. But given the fact that the town only seemed to have one food place open, which boasted they'd be open on Thanksgiving too, she had a feeling she'd be eating there again come tomorrow.

"I'll have the grilled cheese." Emma stated, offering a small smile to the waitress as she took her order. "With a tomato." She added at the last minute. "And extra fries. I'm starving."

"Long drive?"

Emma shrugged, "Yeah, I drove all around the city today trying to find a place to stay. Got lucky here." She explained as she handed the waitress the menu.

"Headed home to family?"

She shook her head.

"I'll put your order then, should be done with in a half hour." The waitress closed the pad of paper before heading off to disappear into the kitchen. Emma couldn't have been more thankful that the waitress hadn't wanted to play psychologist, like so many people in the food business seem to want to do when someone comes in alone to eat.

There were a lot of people alone in the diner, which seemed to be a place for regulars to come in and enjoy a cup of coffee while they read the newspaper. Sort of like Starbucks in the afternoon, only with less loud phone conversations and not a laptop in sight. There were about a half dozen other people eating in the restaurant, some sitting in family groupings in the boots along the windows, while others sat at the counter eyeing the pies they had on display.

Emma swallowed thickly as she caught sight of someone eyeing _her_.

She hadn't even noticed him when she came in, nor had she noticed him before now. He wasn't exactly the sort of person you didn't notice either. He was _gorgeous_, but in a dark sort of way. He wasn't like the pretty boys that wandered around Boston, thinking they were hipsters planning on overthrowing the government, he was the sort of gorgeous you ran into in a bar somewhere at one in the morning.

She pulled her gaze away from him when the older lady that had been working behind the counter, arrived with her hot cocoa.

"_No_."

Emma's brows shot upwards. "Excuse me?"

"He's bad news." The woman gave her a look, stepping into her line of view of her dark stranger sitting at the bar. "This town's full of bad news."

"I don't really like being told what to do." Emma said tersely, pulling her mug of hot cocoa closer to her. "So thanks, but I don't need your advice." If she didn't have friends or family to spend Thanksgiving with, maybe she had a chance for a little_ something_ else. It wouldn't be the first time she'd gone of the "bad boy" for an evening of fun and she doubted that whatever this little old lady was thinking could be as bad as some of the guys she'd wound up in bed with.

Like that one time she slept with a dude that ended up on the evening news two years later, after he'd hacked his roommate to death with an axe. _Good times_.

"You really don't know what you're getting yourself into if you don't heed my warning."

Emma shrugged her shoulders, "Look. I'm an adult, he's clearly an adult. I really don't think I need some _old lady _telling me what to do." She lifted her mug up to her lips, taking a long sip of her cocoa. "Maybe you have some fixed idea that people are supposed to be one way, but I'm probably not going to fit that mold."

"You listen here girl." The old woman, who Emma had a feeling was the owner of this _fine _establishment, wagged her finger at her. "You have no idea what town you pulled into today."

"I'm pretty sure it's called Tarrytown." Emma retorted dryly, rolling her eyes. "I might not have a GPS in my car, but I know how to read welcome signs." Her gaze lifted when she heard a chuckle coming from the counter behind the white haired woman.

"I think she's making reference to the fact that this little town you're in happens to be part of _Sleepy Hollow_." The dark haired man flashed her a charming grin, his eyes fixing on hers as he spoke. "Don't listen to her love, she's just a crazy old bat."

The woman bristled at his words. "You're lucky I let you eat in here."

Emma's eyes flickered between the two. She was really starting to regret not having pizza tonight. "I really don't want any trouble." She muttered, glancing down at her mug of cocoa. All that she wanted was food and a break from her life for a few days.

She could _feel _his eyes on her now.

The old woman had gone back in the kitchen, muttering who knows what about Sleepy Hollow, curses, and full moons.

"Do you have a name talk, dark, and bad news?" Emma questioned, without even turning back to look at him.

Within a few seconds he was sliding into the booth in front of her, his legs bumping into hers as he stretched out beneath the table. It didn't feel like he was _just _occupying all the space under the table either – somehow it felt like he'd taken up _all_ the space in the diner. Sure there were other people in the room, other diners who seemed oblivious to the strange little scene that had just gone down, but it didn't feel like it. It felt like everything had zeroed in on him.

"Name's Killian Jones." He drawled out, tapping his fingers against the table top. He really was incredibly handsome. Now that he was in closer proximity to her, she could tell just how blue his eyes were and how angled his jaw was. She never went weak in the knees for a guy, but she had a feeling that he might just be the first one to do it for her.

"Emma Swan." She stated, before taking a sip of her cocoa. "So, I'm guessing you don't get along with _Granny _over there?" Emma bit down on her bottom lip, meeting his gaze across the table. "What? Does she have some weird ideas about the fact that this town is part of the infamous Sleepy Hollow legend? Which was a book you know, really lore." While she might have been biting back laugher at the absurdity of it all, the man sitting in front of her was _not_ showing any hints of amusement.

"There's quite a few people up here who put a lot of stock in those legends. If I were you I probably wouldn't laughing at them." He said simply, his tongue darting out over his lips as he met her gaze. "Forgive me lass. That came out sounding like a threat which was not my intention."

"It's fine." Emma shrugged her shoulders. She'd been on the receiving end of threats before and she was pretty good at telling whether there was any stock in the words tossed at her. Despite his rugged appearance (the worn leather jacket kinda added to the whole, bad boy, devil may care attitude he was throwing around) he didn't really seem like that kind of guy. But then again, maybe it was that accent of his throwing her off. He could read a phone book and she was fairly certain he could _get_ her off.

Killian had opened his mouth to speak when the waitress approached with Emma's food.

"Hello _Hook_."

_Hook_?

"Ruby." He regarded the waitress with disdain and a snarl of his lip, looking the opposite direction as if he was just _waiting_ for her to go away.

"Can I get you anything Miss?" The waitress – Ruby – asked, her hands going to her hips as she looked down at Emma.

"I think I'm good here." Emma said, feeling suddenly uncomfortable in this strange little diner. The little scenario with the old woman had been weird enough, but the third degree stares she was getting from the waitress was enough to make her _not _want to tip and she was usually pretty gracious.

Once she was gone back into the kitchen, Emma shot Killian a damning glare. "Right, I really don't want any part in whatever this is going on here." Her eyes narrowed and her lips pressed into a thin line. If she wasn't so damn hungry she'd have already bailed on this place.

"Look." He said gently, leaning over the table as if he were telling a secret. "She's the old woman's granddaughter. Neither one of them are overly fond of me, if you couldn't tell." Emma opened her mouth to speak, but he started before she had a chance. "And _no_ – I didn't fuck _either _of them, thank you very much."

Emma was left flustered and more than a little speechless. "That was… _not_ what I was going to say." But the fact of the matter was that was _exactly_ what she'd assumed about this entire exchange. She had it all mapped out too. He was some fly-by-night player, he'd screwed the waitress, never called her back, and her grandmother was still holding a grudge about it. Clearly that wasn't the case. He wasn't lying.

"Then what is it?" Emma leaned back against the booth. She hadn't even realized she'd leaned forward when he had. "If this isn't some bitter rivalry because you fucked and ducked, what is it?"

Killian chuckled, a wolfish sort of grin spreading over his features. "It's a long, complicated story love. Not sure if you're even willing to listen." He winked at her then, before mirroring her as he leaned back against the booth. "You're different than the other people who wander into this town."

Emma's brows shot upwards. "Considering the welcome I've got from this town already, I'm going to say that _that_ is a compliment." She remarked sardonically with a roll of her eyes. "If you feel so compelled to tell me it's going to have to wait until after I eat my food."

"Change of topic then." He scratched at the back of his ear, his demeanor so easy and natural – which was something else, considering he was _clearly_ persona non grata in this establishment. "What do you do for a living, Swan?"

"I," Emma started, before shoving a fry into her mouth and promptly covering her mouth as she answered with her mouth half full. "I have made a living tracking down assholes who've jumped bail."

"Damn." His eyes raked over her and she couldn't help the rush of desire that went through her because of that look. "That's quite the skill."

Emma shrugged. "It's my job. I'm good at it." She tapped her finger against the table, before eating another fry. "In fact, I just closed out my seventeenth case this month."

"Quite the accomplishment." He canted his head to the side, his tongue lazily sweeping over his lower lip as he met her gaze. That was a sinful look that should only be reserved for situations behind closed doors and _not_ when she was trying to eat. "So what brought you to Sleepy Hollow?"

Emma nearly corrected him, which wasn't really her place. It wasn't like she'd done research to see where the town lines were between Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow. Both towns had looked like one street wonders. "I was actually trying to go to New York for the holiday weekend, but I forgot that little thing called the Thanksgiving Day Parade. I should have booked a place like a year ago."

"So you weren't planning to come to town?"

She pursed her lips and shook her head before she grabbed the bottle of ketchup at the end of the table. "Me being here is a complete happenstance." Emma was kinda amazed by the fact that Killian was so easy to talk to. Her friends always joked that getting her to talk about work was like pulling hen's teeth. She was pretty closed off, even from the people she kept closest. Maybe it was just because he was some random guy in the middle of New York, who she'd never see again once she headed back to Boston. "I don't really have anyone to spend Thanksgiving with so I just sorta hit the road and thought I'd see whatever fate might throw my way."

"And fate threw _me_ your way."

Emma _almost_ giggled. She wasn't sure if it was his words or the way he wiggled his brows and looked so damn proud of himself when he said them.

"You probably say that to all the girls who show up in this town."

"Would it bother you if I did?" Killian questioned, leaning his arms against the table.

Emma's brows furrowed together. "No it wouldn't bother me." She lied and she didn't know _why_ that was a lie. Big deal if he used that line on other people? He was as free to fuck whoever he wanted as she was. She knew that that was where this was leading, but she didn't know why there was any trace of jealousy creeping its way in.

"Are you staying in Tarrytown or Sleepy Hollow?" He questioned and this time she bristled.

"Right," Emma wiped her lips off, shaking her head. "I'm not interested in playing this twenty questions game." It didn't really bother her, strangely. The real problem she was facing was with herself, because she wanted to answer every question he tossed her way. If he knew enough to ask her about deeply personal questions surrounding her past, she had this unsettling feeling she'd give them all up.

He eased up then, leaning back against the booth again. "Sorry love." Killian offered her a faint smile, his gaze dropping to where his hands were resting on the table. "You're more than welcome to play _twenty questions _with me. Don't be afraid to really get into it."

Emma laughed, twirling a fry around in the ketchup on her plate. "I don't even know where to start." She admitted with a laugh, feeling her cheeks go pink as she met his gaze briefly. "How about where you from? That accent of yours is not from New York."

"I've moved around a lot. Originally from Ireland, but then I lived in England for quite a bit of time, then hopped the pond came over here." He swept his fingers through his hair. "I've been here in Sleepy Hollow for about seven years."

"I figured that accent was from somewhere over there." Emma used a fry to point at him. "I've got another one for you. Why did she call you Hook?"

He rolled his eyes. "That plays into that long and complicated story I mentioned earlier." Killian shifted his seat like he was uncomfortable.

Emma's brows knit together and she gave him a skeptical look. "Your neck looks pretty intact from here, so I'm going to assume you're not a headless horseman…" She pursed her lips, humming as she let her eyes rake over him (now that it felt like she had permission). "You've got that bad boy look going on with that leather jacket… What are you a vampire?" She was teasing him, sincerely _not _expecting any sort of confirmation from him.

"I said it was long and complicated." That wasn't a _no_. That wasn't even him playing of her words like they were a joke.

She started to say something, but instead she chose to start working on her grilled cheese. For someone who prided herself on reading people and being able to distinguish whether or not someone's lying – she can't figure out what sort of game he's playing. He seems so sincere with his words and there's no hint of deception in those too-blue eyes of his.

"_Right_." Emma finally said as she reached for her mug of cocoa. "I'm guessing this long and complicated story of yours involves the urban legends of Sleepy Hollow and you don't want to tell it in here?"

"Correct."

Emma scoffed, unable to even try to humor him. Was he crazy? Was that why the old lady had tried to warn her off of him from the start? But that whole exchange had been so bizarre, she had a hard time _believing_ that was the answer. It was too simple. This felt... _well_ complicated – like he'd said it was.

"Look I don't know what it is you think about this town. But I don't see how you can honestly put any stock in a stupid urban legend concocted by an author like two hundred years ago."

"All lore comes from somewhere, love. Washington Irving's family was from Orkney. Similar legends exist there." Killian ran his fingers through his hair, stretching out beneath the table, his feet bumping into hers as he did. "Don't discredit a legend simply because a man chose to pen it down and make money on it."

It was Emma's turn to shift uncomfortably in her seat, glancing down at her half eaten dinner, which she had a feeling wasn't going to get finished. "I'm still not following… What does any of that _really_ have to do with what her problem is with you?" And better yet, _how_ had she got herself involved in all of this?

Killian cocked his head to the side. "I promise I'll tell you once you've finished your dinner." He gestured to her plate. "Though, there's every chance you might think I'm absolutely bloody crazy."

Emma widened her eyes. "_Might_ think? I already think you're crazy." She shoved a few more fries into her mouth, before waving the waitress over. "I need the receipt and a to-go box." Yet here she was, getting ready to go out on a limb for this complete stranger. She genuinely wanted to know what all of this was about, even though a little voice in the back of her mind kept telling her to get the hell out of dodge fast. She couldn't exactly explain the pull she felt. But she'd felt it the moment she'd set her eyes on him and morbid curiosity had kicked in.

"Are you leaving?" Killian questioned cautiously.

Emma lifted her gaze to meet him as the waitress delivered her the receipt and the to-go box. She pushed the contents of her plate into the box, never one to waste a meal she'd paid for. "No. You're going to tell me what all of this is about." She said firmly, before she laid a twenty down on the table with the bill, downed the last dredges of her cocoa, and moved to get out of the booth. "To answer your earlier question, I'm staying in Tarrytown."

Killian moved to get out of the booth, shoving his hands into her leather jacket. "Good." He said lowly, following her out the door of the diner.

"Let me just put this in my car." Emma explained as she walked around into the road to unlock her little yellow bug and sit the leftovers in her seat. She looked her car back and moved back around onto the sidewalk. "So…?" She was fairly certain she could have _easily _just have said fuck it and gone back to the hotel, whether alone or not, but she couldn't shake her need to figure out all of this. "Are we far enough away or do we need to walk to some creepy cemetery for added effect?"

Killian laughed, "Ah, _no_. No cemeteries are needed. We can just walk if you'd like." He offered her his arm, flashing her a charming grin.

"_Really_?" Emma smiled as she shook her head, moving to rest her hand on his arm. "I know what this is. You're a time traveler, right? Cause no guy does this anymore."

"I pride myself on being a gentleman." He nudged her with his elbow. "Is there any problem with this?"

"No." Emma bit down on her bottom lip, dropping her gaze to the pavement as they started to walk. "It's just different." She was so much closer to him now. From across the diner and across the table she'd felt this sort of all-consuming sensation coming from him, but now it felt like even more. There was no word to aptly describe the way it felt. She just felt _engulfed_ by him.

Emma nudged him back in the ribs. "I don't mean to judge a book by its cover, but I wouldn't have guess that you were all _gentlemanly_." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes, a small smirk playing over her lips. "What are you? A bad boy on the streets and a gentleman in the sheets?"

Killian laughed loudly "That's exactly what I am among _other_ things."

"You going to tell me what this other thing is or am I going to have to guess? Drug addict? Serial killer? Married?" He didn't say anything for a long moment, which was starting to make her think she'd lit on the right explanation for whatever he was.

"It's a bit more complicated than that." Killian answered, coming to a stop. "I don't know if you're ready to hear it yet though. It's not a simple answer nor is it a common one." He moved to stand in front of her, his eyes seeking hers in the dim glow of the street lights above them. "What made drive here today?"

"I told you, I just wanted to get out and go somewhere for Thanksgiving. Coming here was kinda an accident."

"Did you feel like you were drawn to this town?"

Emma's brows furrowed together. "Not particularly… I guess." She glanced down for a second, trying to gather her thoughts. It was _really_ hard to concentrate with him staring at her like that. It was the most intense stare she'd ever been under. "I mean, I was about to give up when I ended up here. I took a wrong turn back on the highway and ended up here instead of one of the places the last hotel recommended." She shrugged her shoulders. "But what does that have to do with _you_?"

Killian pressed his lips together as her met her gaze, something heated behind that look that made her heart skip a beat. Was _animalistic_ the right phrase to use with him? She felt like prey under his gaze and it wasn't a bad thing.

"I tend to stick to myself and the outskirts of town" He started, rubbing at the back of his ear. "But today I caught scent of something in the wind that… was _very_ different."

Emma shifted her weight from the balls of her feet to her heels, her eyes widening as his words sank in. _Caught scent_? Who uses that sort of phrase?

"Different how?" Emma's voice wavered over the words.

Killian clicked his tongue against his teeth, "That's what I haven't figured out yet. I've got my theories, but I'm not sure what to make of all of this." He leaned in closer, dropping his voice low. "I'm surprised you haven't run yet."

Emma inhaled sharply, taking a step back then. "I don't know what this. I tried _really_ hard to just humor you and play along. Because frankly I _don't_ want to spend this entire holiday alone, sitting in my hotel room, but… _no_. This –" She gestured between the two of them. "I don't know where it was going to lead, but it's not going anywhere now." She took another step backwards, keeping her eyes on him as she did.

"I'm not going to hurt you, love."

Emma held her hands up, as if to warn him to stay right where he was. "Famous last words. I've watched enough horror movies to know that I've already made half a dozen bad decisions this evening." She wasn't getting the _danger _vibe off of him, but she was definitely getting the vibe that maybe he was a little unhinged. No sane person would be saying the things he was saying.

"Give me one more chance Emma." Killian said cautiously, taking a single step towards her. "Perhaps I laid this on a little _thick_. Let me rewind and start a little gentler, lass." He met her eyes.

It was then that Emma noticed that his eyes were no longer that impossible blue that they had been before. They looked silvery.

"How the hell did you do that?"

"Do what?"

Emma gave a strained laugh at that. "Your _eyes_." She stepped closer then, against better judgment. "They were blue earlier and now they're grey." Her heart was pounding in her chest as she looked up at him. For someone she was fairly certain she should be _afraid _of there was a surprising amount of interest sparking within her. "What the fuck are you?"

Killian ducked his head, as if he was _almost_ embarrassed. He rubbed at the back of his neck, a lazy sort of smile spreading over his lips. "I'm a werewolf."

Emma gawked at him. "Werewolves _aren't_ real."

"You might think that, but I happen to think that there's a part of you that might just believe they're real too." Killian said with utmost certainty. "I told you lass, legends take root from something. Someone didn't just think up werewolves on day. They didn't just think about headless horsemen or vampires either."

"Are you part of some freaky cult or something?" Emma bristled. "Do you get off on this?"

He rolled his eyes. "No I'm not in a cult and _no_ I don't get off on telling people I'm a werewolf. I don't usually tell people what I am. For obvious reasons."

"Does Granny and her granddaughter know?"

Killian shrugged his shoulders. "Unfortunately they do." He raked his fingers through his hair, stepping a little closer to her. "There have been a few incidents in this town. Ones they believe were caused by yours truly." He sighed heavily, the weight of those words etched into his features.

"What sort of _incidents_?" Emma questioned, her eyes lifting to meet his. "The sort of incidents where people end up dead?"

"Aye."

Emma stiffened. "I see. What? Do you lure unsuspecting women out of that diner and eat them with those big jaws of yours?" There was both teasing and mockery lacing her words and a hint of fear caught in the back of her throat.

"No." He set his jaw so hard she could see the muscle twitching from the strain. "It's not me. I'm not the one doing it."

Emma's hands went to her hips. "So what? You think I ended up in this town to help solve your problems? Forget it." But she didn't move. She should have turned and headed straight back to her car, but she was still staring up at him. What was so damn compelling about this man? _Animal magnetism_?

"I think you were drawn here for a variety of reasons." Killian gave her a hopeful look. "How do you feel about driving out to Lyndhurst? You probably saw the signs when you drove in to town."

"Can't you drive _yourself_ there?" Emma crossed her arms across her chest. "Why are we going there anyways?"

Killian pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek, before leaning close, dropping his voice low as if someone else might hear him. "That's the center of all of this."

"All of what?" She really didn't like feeling like she was completely out of the loop, especially since she felt so willing to go along with it too. "Look, before I drive _anywhere_ alone with you, I need you to tell me the truth. I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me exactly what's going on here. Otherwise I'm going to go get in my car _alone_ and get the hell out of here, because clearly this town is full of lunatics."

Killian chuckled, a crooked grin spreading over his lips. "Was that pun intended, love? Lunatics is a phrase derived from moon madness." His gaze dropped to her lips, before lifting to meet her eyes. "But I digress. I promise you that what I've said is true. I am a werewolf and _you_…" He leaned in closer, his hand lifting to brush her hair away from her cheek. Her breath was caught somewhere in the back of her throat, her hands lifting to press against his chest, but she wasn't pushing him away. "You, Emma, I believe are my mate."

"Your _mate_?" Emma's voice sounded strained again, her lashes fluttering as she looked away. She would have been laughing in his face if it hadn't been for the fact that there was only sincerity in his gaze. He hadn't looked away, his lips hadn't twitched, his voice didn't change pitches as he spoke. Either he was telling the truth or he was so delusional he _believed_ it to be true. But… that theory didn't sit right with her.

Emma ducked her head and pulled her hands away from him, taking a step backwards – wanting to put space between them before she did something _really _stupid. "Alright. I'll drive us over to Lyndhurst. But isn't it closed?"

He bounced on his feet. "I can get us on the grounds." He waved his hand. "Off we go."

_Off we go_. Off the deep end.

Emma turned on her heels and headed back across the street towards her bug. She glanced towards the diner as she unlocked the door for them, noting the fact that the old woman and her granddaughter were standing in the window watching them.

"They're really creepy." Emma commented as they got in the bug. Once again she felt like she was engulfed by _him_. It wasn't a bad feeling necessarily, a little heady and amplified by their close quarters.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Killian quipped, fumbling around at the side of his seat to push it back. He was a lot larger than Mary Margaret, who had been the last person in her passenger seat. He was a hell of a lot larger than most of the people she knew, even David didn't seem to encompass as much space as Killian did.

"Do you know how to get to this place?"

"Straight down this road, take a left at the light and it'll be on your right in two miles." He explained, turning his head to look at her as she started the car.

"Please don't stare at me like that while I'm driving." Emma chastised, her fingers curling around her steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles went white. "It's really…" _Creepy?_ That was too strong of a word. "Unnerving."

"Sorry, love." He didn't say another word or look at her until they turned down the gravel driveway that led to the mansion. "Take the right fork." Killian told her, which had them heading away from the closed ticket booth and towards the Hudson River which she could see flowing in the distance, the city lights from the opposite side of the river sparkled on the water.

"We're not going to get arrested for trespassing are we?" Emma questioned as she crept the bug down the path. Her eyes strained in the darkness, her headlights weren't really doing much good now that they were away from the streetlights of Tarrytown. "I really _don't_ need that."

Killian chuckled, reaching over to pat her leg. "Don't worry, like I said… This place is the center of it all."

Emma's brows furrowed as she pulled into the small parking lot a few hundred feet away from the looming mansion. "Still getting horror film vibes from all of this. Except I'm not so worried about you, but what might be out there."

"Darling, I'm one of those things that go bump in the night… Why are you worrying? I'm going to protect you sweetheart."

Emma's laughter bubbled out of her. That was the sort of laughter that came out of her when she was nervous and flustered and everything else in between. She felt completely out of her element. Which was saying something, considering the fact she'd done stake outs in terrifying city blocks and lived to tell the tale. "Right. Of course. I've got a werewolf who thinks I'm his mate, more than willing to protect me from God only knows what else." Emma covered her face with her hands, letting out a heavy, agitated sigh.

All of this because she didn't want to sit at home and watch reruns and eat take out. What the hell had she been thinking when she came down here? She hadn't been thinking, really. She'd finished her job and got a wild hair to come down here. And that alone had her wondering if Killian really had been getting at something earlier when mentioned her being _pulled_ down here. Because, in a sense, she had been. The entire drive had been spent feeling like she had some invisible string attached to her bellybutton which was pulling her _here_ to this tinyass little town outside of New York.

What the hell was going on?

"I have someone I want you to meet." Killian said, his hand still resting on her thigh, squeezing her leg gently.

"Can't we just rewind to earlier?" Emma pulled her hands away from her face, turning to look at him. "Can we just go back to when I thought you and I were just going to spend the evening fucking and I seriously believed werewolves went hand-in-hand with sparkling vampires?"

"I wouldn't say no to part of that still happening." Killian drawled out, his voice doing things to her. "But unfortunately we can't rewind time. Mainly because you thinking that we have any connection to sparkling vampires is _offensive_."

"We? As in more than just one werewolf?"

"Aye, lass. Which is why I've brought you here to Lyndhurst."

Emma's eyes widened, "You had me drive into the werewolf underworld or something?"

"Something like that." He clicked his tongue against his teeth. "I want you to meet our alpha."

She swallowed thickly. "Right. Alpha. Your pack leader." Emma pinched the bridge of her nose, before she grabbed her key out of the ignition. "Let's get this over with." There was every chance she could have been about to walk into some serious shit, but she genuinely trusted Killian when he said he was going to protect her.

The house felt even more massive as they stepped out of the car. The sliver of the moon above them cast the house in a blue hue, which made it more than a little spooky. She kept close to Killian's side as he led her up to the house. Knocking three times before the door opened for him.

"Is that some sort of trick?" Emma questioned as they stepped inside.

"What? The door opening?" Killian chuckled, his hand moving to rest at the small of her back. "You're walking beside a _werewolf_ and you don't believe that maybe there's other things that go bump in the night that could maybe make doors open for those allowed in here?"

Emma's brows furrowed together. "Magic's real too?" Was this what the beginning stages of a panic attack felt like? Her chest felt tight and her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears. "Oh my God."

Killian's hand moved from her back to her waist, pulling her in close to his side. "Easy there. You need to calm down."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your heart." He kept his voice low and modulated. "Nothing's going to hurt you. I'm right here."

"How do I know you're not going to hurt me?"

"Do you think I am?"

Emma exhaled heavily. "No." She was being honest too. That little niggle of fear and doubt wasn't rearing its ugly head right now. "I just really don't like being out of my element and this is… _really _out of my element."

"You're doing remarkably well." Killian assured her. "Are you ready to meet him?"

Emma gave him a sideways glance. "I guess. Why am I meeting him anyways?"

"I want him to see if I'm right or not. I've been wrong before." Killian said with a sigh. "You've got nothing to worry about, lass. He's not going to hurt you. Whether I'm right or not."

She had _so_ many questions for him, but now wasn't the time. Clearly. "Let's just get this over with then." Emma inhaled shakily, trying to calm herself down still. Her heart was still rapidly beating in her chest and she wasn't feeling like she was going really calm down, but she felt a little less like she was going to have a panic attack.

"Then you'll take me back to your hotel room?" Killian teased gently.

Emma laughed incredulously. "So long as you don't shed on the furniture. The hotel has a strict no _pet_ policy." She quipped sassily, nudging him in the ribs with her elbow. Her laughter died as he led her into the room that was just off the main corridor.

"Emma, meet Edward – my pack leader."

The man sat in an elaborate chair, a glass of liquor curled in his hand. He had a dark hair that draped over his shoulders and a beard the same color that was twisted into braids beneath his chin. His eyes seemed pitch black from where she stood, a stark contrast to the bright blue ones Killian had. Apparently eye color had nothing to do with being a werewolf.

"Hi." Emma said awkwardly, glancing between the two men.

"Oh, Killian." Edward moved languidly as he rose to his feet, sitting the glass on the small table beside his chair. "You would be destined for a woman like her."

"What do you mean?" Emma and Killian asked in unison.

"She reeks with the blood of Huldra."

Emma looked towards Killian for answers and given the look on his face, she had a feeling that whatever Huldra was, wasn't a good thing. "Any chance you might tell me what that means?" She whispered, though she had a feeling that the pack leader was more than capable of hearing her.

"Huldra was the seductress of the forest," Killian explained to her, the muscle in his jaw ticking as he spoke. "She led men to their deaths."

"Seems like a real sweet lady." Emma's brows knit together, her eyes flickering over his features, trying to read the hard set pensive expression he was wearing. "But what does that mean?"

Killian's eyes snapped away from Edward to meet hers, a hint of fear reflecting his eyes. "That this just got a lot more complicated than I was expecting." He reached out and took her hand. "While I was right about you being my mate, it would seem that you are sort of the human form of wolf's bane."

"That doesn't sound good."

"It's really _not_."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes: **This chapter is quite a bit shorter than the previous chapter, but it's heavy on the mythology involved in this fic.

_You've suffered in the darkness._  
><em>I'll suck the pain right out.<em>  
><em>So come and taste the reason <em>  
><em>I'm nothing like the rest.<em>

They hadn't spoken since they left Lyndhurst. She had been rendered speechless by this entire evening and she had a feeling he _knew _better than to talk, just from the way she was carrying herself. Neither of them said a single word as they walked back to the car and she drove them to her hotel.

She needed time to process all of this. It had to be some elaborate trick? But that didn't make any sense. No one involved would gain anything out of pulling some game like this. No one _knew_ she was in New York.

"How up to date are you with your Norse mythology?" Killian questioned as he sat down on the edge of the mattress. Emma could feel his eyes on her as she paced the room. He hadn't stopped looking at her since they left the mansion.

Emma glanced at him over her shoulder. "Thor's an Avenger?" She offered, only a hint of a smile on her lips.

Killian clasped his hands together, shaking his head. "While there is a Thor in Norse mythology, Marvel has nothing to do with it." He gave a short laugh before he continued talking. "Thor had a brother, Loki –"

"Yeah, I know about him." Emma moved to sit at the small desk in the corner of the room, keeping plenty of space between them.

"Loki had three children with Angrboda, one of which was named Fenrir –"

Emma interrupted him again. "Like Fenrir Greyback from _Harry Potter_?"

Killian snorted. "Sort of. He was a giant wolf." He rubbed a hand down his face. "All of us are descendants of him in one way or the other. Some of us are born from his line, while others of us – like myself – were made."

Her brows knit together as she met his eyes. "Is Edward a direct descendent?"

"Aye."

It made sense. If the social structure of wolves was anything like royal lineage, she'd assume leaders were of full blood right. _Dear God_. She was starting to take all of this seriously.

"So where do I fit into all of this? Or Huldra or whatever that is?"

"Huldra isn't a _that_, she was a siren… of sorts. She was more or less a forest nymph with a nasty habit of luring unsuspecting men into caverns to _kill_ them."

"Right." He had told her that much earlier, but everything that was said back at Lyndhurst kinda felt like she'd been listening with earplugs in. "And why do I smell like her?"

"That's the deeply concerning part of all of this." Killian scratched at his jaw, sighing heavily. "Come here." He gestured to the bed beside him.

"I'm fine right here." Emma said with a polite smile, her lashes fluttering as she looked down at the floor. "I'm wolf's bane, remember? I should probably stay over here."

Killian laughed and shook his head. "You're only wolf's bane if I decide to drink a large quantity of your blood, lass. Which I'm not going to."

Emma scrunched up her face. "_Ew_. Please don't even think about drinking my blood. Whether I'm walking poison or not." She pushed herself up out of the chair and moved across the room, perching on the edge of the bed beside him. "Alright, I'm here."

"May I see your hand?" Killian asked gently, holding his hand out for hers.

"No biting wolf boy." Emma remarked as she reached out to place her hand in his.

Killian studied her palm, before pushing the sleeve of her shirt up her wrist. "Interesting choice of tattoo."

Emma's brows furrowed together, "I got it when I was like sixteen. It's covering up a scar."

"I noticed." He said as he brushed his thumb over the crooked line that the flower _almost_ covered fully. "This little mark is the mark of Huldra. Interestingly enough that tattoo is also associated with her."

"I didn't know that." Emma said quickly.

Killian smoothed his fingers over her skin, nodding his head. "I trust you on that." He smiled softly at her. "Though maybe I shouldn't tell you what Huldra was all about. You might get ideas or something." He teased.

Emma laughed at his words. "You're just going to have to trust me, like I've trusted you already." She stated, a brow arching upwards. "I'm kinda interested in knowing why your alpha was looking at me like he was contemplating the best way to rip me apart."

"It's rather ironic really. He's not my biggest fan. Finding out that you're my mate is just another nail in my coffin."

Emma screwed up her face. "I thought you said he wasn't that bad."

Killian snorted. "He can't bloody hurt me unless he wants the whole pack to turn on him and sink him in the Hudson."

She tilted her head to the side. "After you tell me about what I am we are going to have a long conversation about what _you_ are and how your pack works."

Killian pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek. "Alright… Huldra was infatuated with Fenrir. He came into the forest one evening, having taken the wrong turn. She chose to pardon him from her wrath because she decided she wanted to be with him. Fenrir shirked her affections and managed to get out of the forest before she ensnared him. As payback, of sorts, she called upon Freyr to help her. Freyr was one of Fenrir's many enemies and the god of male fertility. With him she bore twelve children. Those twelve were born for one reason and one reason alone. To destroy Fenrir and all of his line. They failed. Thousands of years of anguish and bitter rivalry between them and Fenrir's wolves ended with the death of the last heiress of Huldra. Until tonight we believed they were no longer a threat."

Emma blinked as she tried to digest everything he'd just told her. It was a _lot_. When she'd woke up this morning she hadn't expected to spend the evening being told she was a descended of some crazy man-hating forest spirit. "And now that Edward knows this line of people hasn't ended… what's going to happen to me? Because I have work on Monday and I can't take off any time."

"We might not see eye-to-eye on all things, but Ed's not going to hurt you. See you're lucky, because the fates decided to twist our threads together."

Emma grimaced. "Is every single mythological thing real?"

Killian shrugged his shoulders, "I've never seen the Moirai up close and personal, I was just making a neat analogy." He flashed her a charming grin, his fingers curling around her hand that was still resting in his hold.

Emma felt her cheeks go pink when she met his eyes. They were back to being blue now. _Distractingly_ blue. If he was a predator, those were the sort of eyes that would lead prey right in for the kill.

"You said earlier something about girls turning up dead here?"

"Aye." Killian's lips pressed into a thin line and he dropped his gaze to their entwined fingers. "In the last six months we've had four deaths. All women between eighteen and twenty-eight." He shook his head. "All blonde with green eyes."

Emma's breath caught in the back of her throat. "Women who looked _me_?" She wasn't even certain those words came out audibly, her throat feeling tight as she spoke.

"I made a mistake talking to that woman's granddaughter a few months back… before the murders started." He looked so pained. She hadn't pulled her hand away from him. She hadn't even _leaned_ away from him. He was describing to her a scenario where women – _women who looked like her_ – had been murdered and that little voice in the back of her mind wasn't telling her to get the hell out of there.

"What sort of mistake? Killian… you didn't?"

Killian lifted his gaze to briefly meet hers. "No. I didn't touch a single one of them. All I did was foolishly tell Ruby I'd started having these dreams about some blonde haired, green eyed woman. Then news broke that these women were starting to get killed. They all thought it was me. Fucking cops made my life hell for a month. Couldn't find a damn thing that connected me to those murders." He laughed bitterly. "Lost my job and subsequently lost my place."

"I'm so sorry." Emma said softly, lifting her hand to cup his cheek. "Do you have any idea who might have killed them? I mean you've all but told me that there's an entire world of supernatural beings out there and you kinda made it sound like this town was the epicenter for a lot of it."

"It's an epicenter because there's so many legends situated in this town. We can get away with it here. Someone sees a man turn into a wolf on a full moon? Ah, that crazy son of a bitch was probably just trying to get media attention." He rolled his eyes. "It's the same with Salem. That's where all the witches and vampires loiter."

Emma gave him an incredulous look. "Excuse me, but you said that there _were_ no vampires."

Killian widened his eyes, his tone laced with sarcasm. "I said there were no _sparkling_ vampires. Excuse _me_."

Really he had an attitude that made her simultaneously want to slap him and kiss him. But she refrained from both… for _now_. She wasn't thinking clearly enough right now for the latter. Sometimes she made really bad decisions when she was stressed and she didn't want to classify him as a _bad_ decision. Not yet at least. Not until he proved that he really was a bad decision. Right now, he was a questionable one at best.

"Fine, fine. There's no _sparkling_ vampires." Emma laughed, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "When I left Boston this morning, I was expecting to spend the rest of the week laying around a hotel room and enjoying New York City's night scene. Instead I'm here with you."

"And the _real_ night scene." Killian quipped with a cheeky grin.

Emma tilted her head, her eyes searching his. "While I'm here, I'm going to try to figure out who killed those girls. I'm good at the sort of stuff and… it seems right. You don't deserve to be black balled because you dreamed of someone."

"I dreamed of you." Killian said quietly, a faint smile spreading over his lips. "Which is _not_ my usual type."

Emma arched a brow, "Please don't tell me your dating history… or _mate _history. Whatever you call it."

Killian laughed, "_Hey_. I was just saying you're not what I usually go for."

"That's not really a compliment Killian." She rolled her eyes as she moved to get off the bed. "What's your type? Redheads? I know a lot of guys with dark hair who are with redheads."

"No. My type isn't redheads!" Killian laughed loudly, flopping back on the bed. "That's such a weird correlation. I think that's just a coincidence."

"I'm serious. I read once that its some genetic thing, like the genes are trying to correct flaws or something." Emma moved over to where her suitcase was, unzipping it to get her pajamas out. She was actually glad she had the forethought to pack them. She'd almost gone without, which would make this _really_ awkward.

"What?"

"_What_?" Emma glanced back at him over her shoulder.

"The thing about genetics."

"I honestly don't remember. Someone at work was talking about it and I briefly scrolled through the article on their phone. It was something to do with dominant and recessive genes and cancelling them out? Honestly I don't know if it was even a legit article or not. There's so many satirical news agencies out there now." She pulled her suitcase shut and turned around to look at him. "Why?"

Killian propped himself up on his elbows as he met her gaze. "That just sort of made me think of _this_."

"Are you calling me a genetic flaw?"

"No. _No._ No no. That was not what I was saying." He laughed. "I don't really know what I was getting at there, because that's definitely not what I was trying to say."

Emma gave him a look. "No. I see it. You were calling me a genetic flaw _all_ because I'm some Hilda blood carrier or whatever."

"Huldra." Killian corrected as he pushed himself up off the bed. "Which means your mother also carried the blood line. Is she still living?"

That was not something she wanted to delve into. "No. I don't know." She fumbled over the words, glancing down at the clothes in her hands. "I'm going to go change. You should put some of the blankets and pillows on the sofa. It doesn't look too uncomfortable for a hotel sofa."

"Are you alright?"

"_Perfect_." Emma lied, avoiding looking at her as she ducked into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her. She needed space. She needed time to just come to terms with all of this. To _deal_ with everything. Maybe she could handle the whole werewolf thing, but when it came to this thing with being of some mystical bloodline – she couldn't deal.

She didn't handle her past well at all.

She tried _so _hard to forget all about her childhood and the fact she'd been abandoned as an _infant_ on the side of the road. She tried to pretend she hadn't dealt with shitty foster home after shitty foster home, watching all the kids around her get adopted out. While she _didn't_. No one wanted her. No one ever had. It was really by the grace of God or some higher power that she'd turned out as well as she had.

All of this picked at wounds she'd tried to forget about.

Emma sat her pajamas down on the sink, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She looked like hell. Her eyes were red, like she was trying to fight back tears. She could feel them pricking at her eyes, threatening to fall, but she held them at bay.

She glanced down at her arm where her tattoo was, her brows furrowing together. Had the decision to get this tattoo really been all because of some ancient bloodline she didn't even _know _about? That seemed like absolute bull shit. But she couldn't remember why she'd chosen the buttercup. She always joked it was because of _Princess Bride_, but she had the tattoo long before she'd ever watched the movie.

It felt like an _excuse_.

To believe she was from some mystical line of… _what_? Woodland nymphs that killed men? To believe that gave her parents an excuse for why they'd left her – _a newborn_ – laying on the side of the road. Maybe it would even explain why she'd never been adopted. Maybe everyone could sense that she was some sort of freak. Excuses. That was all this provided.

Emma turned the faucet on, cupping her hands beneath the flow of water, before splashing it on her face. She grabbed the hand towel off the counter, drying her face off. She needed a shower, but she'd wait and take it in the morning. Right now, she wanted to go back in there, curl up in her bed, and pray she'd wake up in the morning and discover it had all been a _really_ crazy dream.

She changed into her pajamas and returned to the room. Killian was sprawled out on the sofa, which he was _too_ big for, flipping through the channels on the TV. She could still feel him, though she had a feeling that wasn't going to be a sensation that was just going to go away. She hadn't felt the same sort of weighted, all consuming, feeling when she'd been in the room with Edward. So clearly it had nothing to do with werewolves in general. Just Killian.

"Anything good on?" Emma questioned, trying to keep her tone light. She was hoping he'd caught on to the fact that she didn't want to talk about her past when she'd abruptly left the room for the bathroom.

Killian gave her a sideways look with a shrug of his shoulders. "Not really. Unless you've got a fondness for Judge Judy, that one Phil guy, and really bad cooking shows." He mused, flashing her a wry grin. "In which case, we're going to have problems."

Emma couldn't help the tittering laughter that escaped her lips. For some big fearsome _werewolf_ he really wasn't all that bad. She didn't really get where that association came from if he was any reference to the other werewolves out there in the world. It had been a _long_ time since someone had made her laugh quite like that.

"And why would that be a problem? Maybe I have a secret love for really bad cooking shows." She widened her eyes dramatically as she approached the sofa, moving to sit on the arm of the sofa. "Maybe I _even _love watching Judge Judy." She bit down on her bottom lip as she turned her head look down at him. "Got a problem with that?"

"I would definitely question your sanity." Killian said.

Emma gave him a look. "Well, I mean… I've been questioning your sanity all night. Personally I think a bad taste in television is a bit more forgivable than what you've dumped on me tonight." A grin tugged at the corner of her lips. "Besides, I'm not really a fan of any of those three genres of late night TV so I think we're safe here."

"That's actually _incredibly_ good news. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'd have to question whatever higher power thought to make you my mate." Killian teased.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Because my TV preferences are our biggest problem here." She shook her head as she stood up, sighing heavily as she took a step away from the sofa. "I think I'm going to hit the hay now."

"Aye, I think we both need a good night's sleep." Killian replied as he stifled a yawn. "It's been a hell of a long time since I had a comfortable place to curl up."

"Just don't shed." Emma quipped, narrowing her eyes at him as she moved to get into bed.

He laughed loudly. "I won't. _I won't_."

Emma watched him for a long moment, smiling as he fought with his pillows, trying to find a more comfortable position on the sofa that he was just a little too big for. Part of her wanted to ask him to join her in bed – there was plenty of room. But she knew better.

"Goodnight Killian."

"Goodnight love."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/n: **This is definitely my favorite chapter thus far. It has one of my most favorite scenes I've ever written.

* * *

><p>Just because the sun was already streaking in through the window, didn't mean Emma was ready to get up. Despite the information dump she'd endured yesterday, she had slept incredibly well. It was probably because she'd been teetering on the cusp of an anxiety attack which were always draining, but regardless, sleep had come to her easily. Her dreams, however, had been plagued with everything she'd learned about herself and Killian.<p>

Some were continuations of the conversations they'd had, while others were twisted tangles of memories from her childhood.

They weren't all dreams – some had definitely been nightmares.

Emma rolled over onto her side, her eyes still clenched shut to block out the sunlight. She stretched her legs out, making use of her King sized bed.

But she wasn't alone.

Her eyes flew open as her foot came in contact with someone's leg.

"_Killian_." Emma muttered out as her eyes focused on the lump of a man laying on the bed beside her. He was _still_ asleep despite accidentally kicking him. Curled up with one of the blankets he'd had on the sofa on top of her bedding. She opened her mouth to speak, to wake him up, but she decided not to. He looked so peaceful and somehow even more handsome. His dark hair, which had looked almost black in the night, seemed flecked with auburn hues in the pale sunlight.

His five o'clock shadow had grown over the night and his lips were resting partially open as he snored quietly.

If this was what she'd wake up to, with this _mate _deal, she was going to have no qualms about it. The whole _mate_ thing was still very new to her and she didn't know how to take it. She'd accepted it some regards, but she was fairly certain she was still just _humoring_ the notion. It hadn't really sank in yet.

Her stomach was growling.

"Hey, wake up Killian." Emma nudged at his leg. "It's time for breakfast."

His eyes popped open. "Did you say food?"

Emma laughed. "Were you even asleep?"

"I was dosing."

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah. In _my _bed."

A sleepy smile spread over his lips. "You _asked _me to get up here last night."

"_What_?" Her heart felt like it skipped a beat. She didn't remember asking him to get up in the bed with her.

"You said you had a nightmare and you didn't want to be alone. I took that as you saying you wanted company." He gestured to the blanket wrapped around him. "I thought it best to stay _above _the covers, rather than joining you."

Emma's brows knit together. "I don't remember saying that last night… _but_ I did have nightmares." She smiled softly, meeting those too blue eyes of his. "You're lucky I didn't wake up this morning and kick your ass out of the bed."

"It was a risk I was willing to take." Killian retorted, sweeping his fingers through his sleep tousled hair. "When I heard you, I assumed you were sleep talking or something. But then you said my name so I figured I had the go ahead. Trust me. I was picturing you screaming bloody murder and calling me a creep and getting me arrested."

Emma couldn't help but cackle – laughing too loud and too long at the picture that put in her mind.

"I'm glad you can laugh at the prospect of me getting my ass kicked." Killian grunted, rolling over and burying his face in his pillow.

"Oh, you're right. You really risked your neck." Emma bit down on her bottom lip as she looked at him. How could _this_ man be a werewolf? Weren't they supposed to be big and terrifying monsters? Not handsome men who looked a little too sexy in the mornings. "Come on. I'm hungry. We don't want to miss breakfast."

Emma threw the covers back, moving to get out of the bed. She glanced back over her shoulder. "Are you always this difficult to get up in the morning?"

Killian groaned. "Five more minutes."

Emma grabbed her pillow and threw it at him. "I'm going to get ready and if you're not up when I leave, I am _not _bringing you back a doggie bag." She started to turn her back on him, when she was thwacked with a pillow. "Hey!"

"_Hey_ yourself, lass. I've had enough of your dog puns."

"That wasn't a dog pun! That's what it's called."

Emma's brows furrowed together in a concentrated effort to _not_ smile at the woebegone – _puppy dog _– look on his face. How was that even legal?

"You told me not to shed last night."

"And yet you ended up curled on my bed like a dog who was specifically told not to get on the bed." Emma retorted, her hands going to her hips.

"You asked me to get on the bed with you!" He groaned as he rolled out of the bed, stretching his long limbs out in front of him, before rising to his feet.

"Yeah, well… I don't _remember_." Emma countered, giving him a skeptical look. "I think that sofa was just too uncomfortable and you decided my bed was big enough for both enough."

"Well it was." Killian held his hand up, "But that doesn't mean I got up in the bed with you because I was uncomfortable. You're talking to the man who had been sleeping outside on a bloody piece of scrap metal with a blanket before last night."

Emma's teasing expression fell. It wasn't like she hadn't contemplated asking him to join her in the bed. There had been plenty of room. She hadn't even noticed he was in the bed until she'd woke up. "Then I guess it's a good thing I _asked_ you to get into bed with me last night." Saying those words made her remembered _something_.

She had definitely _thought _about wanting him to join her in bed. At some point she remembered waking up from a nightmare and wishing she wasn't _alone_ in bed.

It was just a coincidence.

After all, she'd been _really_ tried last night. It wasn't unheard of to talk in your sleep. It just so happened that talking in her sleep meant asking Killian to join her in bed.

"Anyways… let's get ready for food." Emma said, shaking her head as she moved across the room to rummage around in her suitcase. "I'm sorry you don't have a change of clothes." She commented, glancing back over her shoulder to look at him. He'd laid back down on the bed partially. His legs jutted out in front of him, while his back was sprawled out on the sheets, his arms stretched out above his head.

Her gaze dropped to his stomach where his shirt was drifting upwards.

Emma felt her cheeks go pink as she caught sight of the dark hair that grew in a line from his navel down beneath the waist of his jeans.

_Oh_.

"See something you like, love?"

"What?" She said a little too quickly, her eyes snapping up to find his staring back at her. "Sorry… No. _No_. I was just thinking." Her face was bright red and she was fumbling over her words. "I'm going to go change."

Without another word she ducked into the bathroom. Once again using it as her way to get away from it all for a few minutes.

She'd had her fair share of one night stands and that was what she'd expected _this_ to be. But somehow in the blink of an eye she found herself sucked into a world that she didn't quite know what to do with. She kept suppressing the thoughts. Pretending if she didn't think about them for very long, then they didn't exist. The jokes were all part of a defense mechanism. She could joke about him being a dog, or shedding, or whatever canine pun she could think of and it made the fact that he _really_ was a werewolf easier to cope with.

Emma didn't do mornings after… even if this wasn't _technically _a morning after, because nothing had happened last night. That alone was throwing her for a loop. It had been a long time since she woke up next to someone and she had to admit, waking up next to Killian had a certain appeal to it. But it wasn't weird because _nothing _happened last night. If it had, it would have been entirely different and she would have been trying to find a way out of this.

She needed to find a way out of all of this.

Emma had no intention to stay in this town longer than her hotel reservation, mainly because she wasn't about to waste money. She didn't care if she was his mate or if she was some long lost heir to a bloodline of nymphs. She was a bailbonds person and she'd been doing just fine with her life.

She didn't need _any _of this.

"Emma?" Killian knocked at the bathroom door. "I've got to use the loo before we head downstairs. Are you almost done?"

Emma glanced towards the door. "Yeah, I'll be right out." She called back. Quickly she changed out of her pajamas and put on her fresh change of clothes. "Sorry for taking so long." She kept her gaze low as she moved to step out of the bathroom.

"You're not going to run out on me before I come out are you?"

She jerked her head up then, her brows furrowing together as she stared at him in the doorway of the bathroom. "No." Emma laughed nervously, "I was going to wait for you before I headed down for food."

Killian shook his head. "That's not what I meant, love." He gestured to her then, leaning against the door frame. "I'm good at reading body language. It's part of being a wolf. We don't really communicate any other way."

Emma bit down on her bottom lip, glancing towards her suitcase. "Well you're reading me wrong."

"I don't think I am." He sounded so damn sure of himself. "You're something of an open book. Whether you want to admit that or not." She could feel his eyes boring into the side of her head. "You're afraid of getting attached. To reveal little parts of yourself and just trust me. This would all be so much easier if you'd just drop your guard a little."

If looks could kill, the one Emma shot him would have had him on the ground dead as a doornail. "You need to shut the fuck up Killian. Can you read that from my body language?" If he was going to start this bullshit, she really was going to leave his ass and drive straight back to Boston, losing money or not.

He looked so unfazed. "I can tell that you're _scared_."

Emma stiffened. "For a damn good reason. You should be used to be people not wanting to trust you." She mirrored his cross armed posture,_ glaring_ at him. "Do you have any idea how crazy you sound? I should have just left last night. Alone. I shouldn't have even humored you about _any_ of this. I don't care if it's real. I don't care if you and I are supposed to be mates. Find a new one. Find someone else to convince that you're crazy talk is real."

She moved across the room and shoved her clothes into her suitcase, zipping it closed so quickly she nearly broke the zipper. Her hands were trembling and her heart was _pounding_ in her chest. The worst part of all of this was the fact that the little voice in the back of her mind was screaming at her to stay. That was the voice that was always telling her to run.

"I can't just find another mate. That's not how it works. Trust me. I've tried that before. I was with someone once that I _thought_ was my mate. But I was wrong. I was so wrong." His voice trembled with emotion that made her stop in her tracks.

"And where is she now?" Emma bit out, fingers curling around the handle of her suitcase.

"She's dead."

Emma hesitated. "There's a lot of death surrounding you Killian."

"I know." Killian dropped his gaze, his shoulders sagging as a humorless laugh escaped his mouth.

Something snapped. It wasn't fear – it was far from that. It was the way she cared. The way her heart ached for him. That _wasn't _Emma. That wasn't how she operated.

"The room's paid for through Sunday morning. You can stay if you want." Emma said quietly, her eyes lingering on his face. "I'm really sorry. About everything. I hope things work out for you. I really do."

And she _did_.

She might have been freaked out, but she didn't wish ill of him.

"Emma… _wait_." Killian started towards her, but she turned her back on him and headed for the door.

"It was nice to meet you." Emma said quietly, giving him one last backwards glance, before she slipped out the hotel door and headed towards the elevator. He didn't follow her. Which was definitely for the best. She didn't want to have to deal with continuing this conversation through the hotel. She just wanted over with. She wanted to close the book on this _very_ strange chapter she found herself on and forget about it.

Siren nymphs, werewolves, and headless horsemen were _not_ part of her plan for her life.

Breakfast consisted of a take away cup of coffee – watered down with three little packets of Irish Crème flavored milks (because hotel coffee is always the worst) – and a barely warm little breakfast burrito. It would be enough to tide her over until she got out of New York.

She couldn't feel him anymore, at least not the way she had before. She still felt _something_. Like something was pulling on her from the pit of her stomach. But did that really having anything to do with him or this town? Or was it just that gnawing sensation to get the hell out of Tarrytown before something else happened?

Emma wouldn't admit it, but there was a part of her that already _missed _that feeling. Despite all that he'd said and the dozen of reasons he'd given her to be afraid or alarmed, she'd felt _safe_ in his presence. The way his essence seemed to invade her senses and encompass an entire room had been warm and comforting.

That didn't mean anything though.

She'd come all the way out here, albeit to New York City and not to Tarrytown, to have a good time. To escape Boston and just… live a little. When she saw him last night, she had been looking for a one night fling to scratch an itch, not to have him claim he was her mate. Because _mate_ sounded pretty damn long term. And Emma? She didn't do long term.

She sat in her car and ate her breakfast, feeling a bit like she was on a stakeout as she watched the automatic doors beneath the hotel's awning. It was stupid and she knew it, but she was waiting to see if Killian would come out. That little voice in the back of her head kept telling her to stay. To wait. To see him one last time. He was _nothing_. They hadn't even _really_ slept together and maybe that was why she was still sticking around.

An hour nearly came to pass and he still hadn't emerged from the hotel. He had probably gone back to bed, after all – he had told her he'd been sleeping on a piece of metal for God only knew how long. It was really shitty that _that _was what his life had come to. His "pack leader" had a huge ass house, but there he was pretty much cast out of society and living in the woods. That was pretty low.

She _knew _what it was like to sleep outside. To have nowhere comfortable to your head.

But that was his situation, it wasn't her problem.

Emma finished off her coffee, before twisting the key in the ignition and starting her car up. There was no reason to stick around. She gave the hotel once last glance, before she put the car into gear and headed down towards the main drag.

She was _almost_ to the interstate when she noticed a blockade in the distance. There had been an accident or something because the entire road was blocked off with a myriad of red and blue flashing emergency lights.

"Are you kidding me?" Emma muttered to herself. That was the only way she knew to get back on the interstate. She sighed heavily, turning into a drive way so she could turn back around. It looked she wasn't getting out of Tarrytown just yet.

She knew from the night before that there really wasn't anything to do in this two lane town. She was definitely _not _going back to Granny's and seeing as it was now actually Thanksgiving Day, none of the little shops were open.

Emma knew she could stop and ask for directions. There had to be another route out of town to get to the interstate, but she was only halfheartedly trying to leave apparently. But instead of finding her way out of town, she decided to poke around in one of the town's two cemeteries – The Old Dutch Burying Ground.

In a small town like Tarrytown she actually felt pretty safe in the cemetery. In Boston you wouldn't dare get out in some of the larger cemeteries, in fear that you might get robbed by the homeless population. Despite all that Killian had told her about the town, it didn't really seem like some hub of spooky supernatural beings. Considering she was walking among the graves of people with the last names Van Tassel and Crane – which Irving had apparently got his inspiration from – it felt just like any other small town she might have found her way into. There was nothing creepy or unsettling about it.

A small stream ran along the outer boundary of the cemetery and Emma parked her car in the shade of the trees, to sit on one of the benches that had been placed there in honor of some deceased loved one. It was _exactly _the sort of place she needed to clear her thoughts after the past twelve hours or so.

She had been kinda stupid leaving the way she had. Killian hadn't been _wrong_, but it had rubbed her the wrong way.

"Here I was thinking I was the only person who came down here to reflect."

Emma turned her head to see a man making his way down the short path that led to the benches. She flashed a small smile, "Just passing through. Thought it was a pretty place to sit for a while."

"That it is." The man replied, striding towards a bench a few down from her. He looked like a homeless man, but he was dressed like he had money. His hair was an unruly mass waves that hung below his shoulders and Emma noted the absence of a right hand. She was good at making flash judgments of new people, a skill that had come along with her job, but this guy was unreadable. Like he was completely neutral.

"Hey, you don't happen to know if the road headed towards the interstate has cleared up, do you?" Emma questioned, giving her an excuse to study the man, and not just look like she was gawking at his odd appearance.

"It'll be closed for a while longer."

Emma's brows knit together. "Bad accident?"

The man turned to look at her, his expression completely emotionless. "They found some woman's body."

_Killian_. But he'd been with her last night.

"Do they think it's that serial killer people have been talking about?"

"I believe so."

Was _this_ why she hadn't felt like she should leave town? Because she was Killian's _only_ alibis.

"Scary." Emma commented as she stood up. "Well, I should probably get going." The man was still staring at her, which was a little unnerving. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"You too."

Emma fast walked back to her car, immediately locking it once she was safely inside. That little voice in the back of her head that she was starting to think was broken since it hadn't told her to get the hell out yet, was now telling her to get the hell out of the cemetery. She'd joked about horror story plot lines last night and yet there she was falling right into the classic trope of going to a _cemetery_.

She had sort of promised Killian that she would help him figure out this murder case and clearly that was what she was supposed to do. It felt a little too ironic that she was trying to get out of town and the murder was blocking her path. She'd just have to accept that sometimes things get dropped in your path that you have to deal with, whether you want to or not.

Her plan was to go back to the hotel room and get Killian, but her plan got dismantled as she drove past Granny's Diner and saw a cop car parked outside. She pulled into the side lot and got out of her car, heading inside. Having Killian with her probably would have been better, but time was of the essence.

"That's the woman he was with last night."

Why was she even surprised?

"What?" Emma feigned confusion, her brows creasing together quite convincingly. "Is something wrong officer?"

"Good morning ma'am." He said with a nod of his head. "I was just questioning these fine ladies–" The cop gestured towards the older woman and her granddaughter. "about Killian Jones. They informed me that you and he were seen here last night together."

"Yeah, we met in here last night. Is he in trouble officer?" Emma might have actually been blonde, but she had never acted like she was until it worked in her favor.

The man gave her a warm smile, the sort that you might give a child who didn't know any better. "There's been an incident and due past suspicions, he's our person of interest in this case. But, if you were with him, maybe you know something about what happened."

Emma batted her lashes, canting her head to the side. "Killian and I were together _all_ night." She exaggerated that word, trying to get her point across without having to say it out loud. If she acted clueless enough maybe they'd just let the whole thing drop, thinking he'd picked up some dumb blonde and spent the night with her.

"I see." He jotted notes down in his pad of paper. "And what's your name Miss?" It had definitely worked because she'd gone from a ma'am to a miss, just with her change of demeanor.

"Emma Swan." She smiled, curling a lock of her hair around her finger. "S, W, A, N."

"I got that." The cop glanced up at her. "Do you happen to know where we might find Mr. Jones this morning?"

"Of course. He's up at the hotel on the hill. We didn't want hotel food this morning so I came down here to get us something to eat." Emma frowned a little, as if she was disappointed that it might not happen now. "Would you like me to take you up to him?"

"That would be nice, Miss." He tucked his notebook away in his pocket. "Mrs. Lucas, Ruby, thank you both for your compliance." He looked back towards Emma then. "Lead the way."

"Can do." Emma grinned, before turning on her heels and heading back out to her car. She prayed that Killian was still in the room. Otherwise she was going to look like an accomplice to murder and she _really_ didn't need that on her record. Her past crimes, thankfully, were locked due to her age when she'd committed them.

The cop followed close behind her the whole way back to the hotel, like she might decide to high tail it out of the town (which didn't sound like a bad idea). But she felt like she _had_ to help Killian.

"We're in 303." Emma told the officer as she got out of the car, pulling her keycard out of her back pocket. "Hopefully she's decent." She gave a ridiculously girlish giggle at that, before heading into the hotel.

The elevator wide felt like it took _forever_. The cop was rifling around through his notebook and Emma was praying to whatever god was listening that he was in the room. She was certain she could come up with a _really_ good excuse for why he wasn't there, but she had no idea where to find him.

She swiped her keycard, glancing towards the cop as she pushed the door open. Killian was standing in the middle of the hotel room, in only his boxers. She had never been more thankful to see someone in her entire life.

"Hey _baby_." Emma said in the most sickeningly sweet voice as she practically bounded across the room to wrap her arms around him. "Play along." She mouthed to him, before she pressed her lips against his, as if it were something they'd been doing the _whole_ night. She didn't even have a chance to register what it felt like to kiss him, before she was slipping back into the persona she'd adopted to play this game.

"When I went down to Granny's to get us our breakfast and ran into this cop who was asking about you. There's been a murder." She puckered out her bottom lip, before turning back to look at the cop, wrapping her arm around Killian's waist.

"Mr. Jones, I'd assume you know why you're the person of interest in this investigation." He'd pulled out his pad of paper again, jotting down notes.

Emma could feel the way Killian went stiff in her arms. She ran her hand over his back, trying to soothe him, but he still ended up sounding pissed off.

"Because you've got me pegged as a bloody murderer and I'm _not_."

"I've just got a few questions for you, Jones. Once we're through I'll let you get back to… whatever you were doing."

"_Me_." Emma said to Killian, as if she were whispering it, but she made sure it was plenty loud enough for the cop to hear.

"Yes _you_." Killian arched a brow as he looked down at her, a smirk quirking at the corners of his lips.

"Where were you last night between the hours of six and two in the morning?"

Emma gave Killian a look, batting her lashes up at him. "You don't have to tell the officer _what_ we were doing last night baby."

"I was here, with Emma." Killian explained, his eyes raking over her face. "We met at Granny's around five or so. Left there before she was even done with her dinner." His hand slid down and squeezed her ass, making Emma squeak. "I assure you, she kept me occupied well into the early hours of the morning."

Emma turned back to look at the cop, grinning from ear-to-ear. "I don't think we fell asleep until right before the sun was coming up." She ran her hand down his chest, playing with the crisp hairs beneath her fingertips.

"I see." He was back to writing in his notepad again. "Miss Swan, do you happen to recall at any time when Mr. Jones might have left the hotel room?"

"No sir," Emma said as guilelessly as possible. It was true though. She'd been with him the entire night and the woman was already dead by the time she left the hotel. There was no way Killian had anything to do with this nightmare. "Trust me when I say… we were _very_ busy last night."

Killian chuckled, his gaze flickering to her lips, before meeting her eyes again. "I'm surprised you could walk this morning."

"I guess I'm not done with you yet." Emma said lowly, her fingers dipping lower, tracing that trail of hair that had caught her attention this morning.

He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Emma lifted her hand to rest at the side of his neck as she leaned up into the kiss, letting it linger. It was all for the sake of convincing the cop right? They only pulled away from each other when the cop cleared his throat.

Emma rubbed her lips together as she turned back to look at the cop. "Sorry officer."

"That's quite alright Miss." He waved his hand dismissively as he read through his notes. "I think that answers the questions I had for the both of you. Thank you for your time." He turned on his heels, heading towards the door. "We'll be in touch Mr. Jones."

"I hope not." He retorted, his fists curling into balls at his sides.

Emma sighed a breath of relief as the door closed behind the police officer and she walked across the room to latch the door shut. She turned to look at Killian, pressing a finger to her lips, waiting until she could hear the ding of the elevator, signaling that the cop was well outside of earshot. "I'm sorry about that."

Killian chuckled, running his fingers through his hair. "You have nothing to be sorry for, love." His eyes raked over her. "I thought for sure I'd seen the last of you, but… I mean if that's how you greet me every time we part."

Emma rolled her eyes. "You're insufferable." And she was flustered. The way that he was looking at her did nothing to curb that spark of desire their last kiss had stirred in her.

"So how exactly did all of that come to be? Were you out talking about me and got yourself into trouble?"

Her hands went to her hips, meeting him with a level gaze. "Actually I was trying to get on the interstate but I couldn't because the police had the road closed because _apparently_ they found another body. I didn't know that until I turned up Granny's and they were talking about _us_." She widened her eyes dramatically. "Acting like I was some dumb blonde that spent the night fucking you was the only way I knew to make sure your alibi was solid."

"You're not my type though. I bet you he knows that too."

"Look," Emma took a step towards him, a small smirk playing over her lips. "If anyone asks, you're going to say that you were lonely and horny and I was putting out."

Killian narrowed his eyes. "I do believe that the ladies at the dinner know that you were not acting like a dumb blonde when you came in there last night." He dropped his voice a little lower. "Besides, I much prefer the feisty woman you _really_ are."

Emma laughed. "Yes, well, I couldn't exactly tell them you told me you were a werewolf, took me to meet your pack leader, and then came back to the hotel with me and curled up in my bed. Now could I?"

"That probably wouldn't have went over very well." Killian agreed, canting his head to the side. "I must commend you for really getting into character." He tapped his finger against his lips. "Best _fake_ kiss I've ever had."

"Oh, do you have a lot of fake kisses Killian?" She crossed her arms across her chest. "They must have been some really bad fake kisses, because I didn't even add _tongue_." She felt her cheeks go bright red. She couldn't believe she'd said that out loud. She was usually so much better at being cool and collected. "Look… I told you last night that I was going to help you with this murder case and get your name cleared of this mess. I meant it. I know I left this morning and I acted like I wasn't coming back, but everything today shoved me back here. So I'm here."

"Are those kisses going to happen again?"

Emma sighed heavily. "Did you not just hear any of the _important_ things I just said to you?" She didn't want him to know how affected he made her. But given that wolfish grin on his face, she had a feeling that his wolf hearing wasn't the only intensified sense he had. Especially given the fact that his gaze kept dropping down to the apex of her thighs.

"Oh, I hear you loud and clear sweetheart."

Emma shook her head, trying to avoid looking at him for as long as she could. "I'm going to go get my suitcase back out of the car. While I'm gone can you please put your clothes back on? Because you and I are going to actually talk now. I need you to tell me _everything_ so I can try to figure who could possibly be killing these women."

Killian clicked his tongue against his teeth. "I hope you're ready for Norse Lore 101, taught by yours truly." He looked so damn cocky. Only this time, now that she knew what it felt like to kiss him, she didn't want to slap that look off his face, she wanted to kiss it off.

What the hell had she gotten herself into?


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n: **The rating has adjusted up from T to M.

* * *

><p>Emma was <em>incredibly <em>thankful that Killian had followed her instructions and got himself dressed before she came back from getting her suitcase. Kissing him had been a terrible decision. Sure – it was _just_ a charade to throw the cop off, but it had stirred something within her that she'd rather not delve into. The worst part wasn't the fact that he'd caused desires to flare, it was the fact that he _knew_ how he'd affected her. He might have not said it aloud, but the looks he had given her, the wolfish, hungry grin he wore as he lounged on the bed said it all.

She wasn't stupid. He was a wolf after all, which meant he had heightened senses. She knew he could smell her. She didn't need to ask him if that was true for werewolves. And somehow, knowing that he _knew_, was kinda a turn on (whether she would ever come to turns with that or not).

"They had breakfast burritos downstairs still." Emma told him as she moved towards the bed where he was laying, "I didn't know if you ate while I was gone or not." She handed him the three little wraps, offering him a hesitant smile.

Now it was going to be awkward. She could kick herself in the ass, because she was the one letting it happen.

"I didn't." He admitted with a chuckle, taking a bite of one of the burritos. "I took a shower and decided to go back to bed."

Emma arched a brow. "Here I was thinking you might have a fit after I left."

Killian mimicked her expression. "How do you know I didn't have a fit? I might have ripped up a towel or two."

Emma slapped his leg playfully. "You better not have. I'll have to pay for damages."

He grinned. "I didn't! I didn't!" He bit down on his bottom lip and wiggled his eyebrows. "I just contemplated what I was going to now that you'd left." Killian's brows furrowed together. "Still trying to figure that one out."

Emma looked away.

"Don't worry, love. I've made it over two hundred years without a mate. I'll survive."

"_What_?" She turned back to look at him, her eyes widening in surprise. "You are _not_ two hundred years old."

"Aye," Killian said, before scarfing down another burrito. "I was made in the fall of 1793." He rolled his eyes. "I was an _accident_."

Emma rubbed at her temples. How the hell was this happening? "Who made you?"

"Edward." He gave her a disgruntled look. "That's why he hates me."

"He hates you?" She had got the impression that they didn't see eye-to-eye, given what Killian had said to her, but she hadn't got the idea that he hated the blue-eyed wolf.

Killian shrugged his shoulders. "I was stealing from him. He_ killed_ me." He licked his finger off, the action of his tongue catching her attention. She couldn't help but wonder if he did it like that for the sole reason of making her _want_ him.

"You look pretty alive to me."

He canted his head to the side. "Aye, but that's only because he made the mistake of offing me on a full moon."

"That's all it takes to turn someone into a werewolf?" Emma arched a brow. "I hope you guys don't kill too often."

Killian waved his hand. "See, Edward was _born_ a werewolf, but he was kicked out of his pack at a very early age and was not brought up to understand all facets of this life. He thought he was being clever, but instead he ended up with a nuisance for life."

Emma tried not to laugh, but failed miserably. "You're definitely a nuisance." She grinned at him. "So did he teach you all about what you are?"

He nodded his head, stretching his arms out above his head, before moving to get comfortable on the bed. "Aye, that he did." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "We got a pack together just after the turn of the century. We didn't come here till the dawn of the 20th century. You lot were too testy with your wars."

"You are _really_ old." Emma stared at him in complete awe. "You've seen_ so_ much."

Killian made a face. "To answer your question… _No_. I was told all about what we are by an older wolf we picked up along the way. He took me in under his wing, in a sense, and taught me all about the lore surrounding us." He lowered his voice, as if telling a secret. "He always thought I'd make a better leader than Ed. Ed's very short sighted and a wee bit egotistical. A lot of that comes from being ditched by his pack as a pup. He thinks we all owe him for taking us in."

"Then why don't you start your own pack instead of just following him around aimlessly?"

"Packs tend to be led by descendants, rather than those of us who were made. Besides, I wouldn't have met you if I had started my own pack. I would have _never_ come here." He laughed, shaking his head. "I'd be somewhere a little larger."

"But doesn't it work to your advantage? I mean, you talk about all these supernatural beings being real. So shouldn't people just shrug their shoulders when weird things happen?"

"Aye, they do. But then shit like these murders happen and the lone wolf –" He made a face. "gets blamed."

"And Ed isn't helping you at all?"

"Nuisance, remember?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "You could do better than being part of his pack. I don't know much about the hierarchy in your packs, but I think an alpha should protect his pack." Emma gave Killian a wary look. "Last night when you took me over there… What did you mean when you said you have been wrong before? Have you thought you found your mate before me?"

Killian frowned, scrubbing his hand over his face. "Her name was Milah."

"I'm sorry." Emma said gently, reaching out to touch his hand. "What happened with her?" Curiosity had gotten the better of her.

"It was the prohibition. Our pack was involved in a fair bit of rum-running." Killian started, his eyes focused on her hand, which compelled her _not_ to pull away from him. "She and I met at one of the bars we were supplying. Didn't know she was married. Didn't know she had a kid. I let her into this world, welcomed her into the pack. I swore up and down that she was my mate, even though everyone told me that they didn't see it. I was forcing it."

Emma squeezed his hand tightly.

"The irony of it all is that her husband was not only a hunter, but all wrapped up in the cops and catching alcohol smugglers. She _apparently_ didn't know any of this when she got involved with me. She was just tired of being a mother and a wife and was looking for an out." He sighed heavily. "He killed her."

She inhaled sharply. "_Killian_. I'm so sorry."

"It was a long time ago, but that wound's still fresh. I was still young, I jumped to the conclusion that she was _it_ for me." His gaze flickered upwards, meeting her eyes. "When I caught scent of you yesterday… I knew something was different this time. I had _thought_ what I felt before was right, but this time I felt like something was calling out to me."

Emma bit down on her bottom lip, glancing away from him. "I'm still only staying till Sunday." She reminded him, her thumb rubbing over the back of his hand. "Considering what we both know I am, I think it's wise that we don't try to take this any further."

"I know." Killian squeezed her hand before pulling away. "You're right though. It is better this way."

It didn't _feel _better. But she refused to acknowledge the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Anyways." Emma ran her fingers through her hair, before moving to get out of the bed. She crossed the hotel room and pulled her laptop out of her suitcase, before returning to the bed. "I've got a couple programs on here that might help us figure out who's doing this. Unfortunately, since its Thanksgiving, we're kinda limited in what we can do."

Emma moved to rest against the headboard beside him, so he could see the computer screen too.

"Aren't you full of surprises?" Killian drawled out.

She pursed her lips, feeling a little rush from his praise. She pushed that sensation down, returning back to the matter at hand."So why did Ruby call you _Hook_?"

"Because the killer was seen with what looked like a _hook_"

"They've _seen_ the killer?"

Killian sighed, "I don't know. Some trucker claimed he saw a man with a hook. But that's the only claim of such a thing." He shrugged his shoulders. "It's likely that the bloke just wanted attention. Good ole Sleepy Hollow, land of headless horsemen and hookhanded men."

Emma laughed. "Captain Hook. That's obviously who the killer is."

Killian nudged her in the ribs. "He's killing Wendys."

"We've solved the murders." Emma clapped her hands together, giving him an impish grin. It felt so _easy_ to sit there with him. To talk to him like she'd known him for longer than a day. She could only assume that that had something to do with the _mate_ thing. "Speaking of the headless horseman… should we think of him as being a suspect?"

Killian made a face. "Wayland? I doubt he'd be out and about killing women. He keeps to himself."

"_Wayland_?"

He gestured to her laptop. "Search Wayland the Smith."

Emma did as he said, pulling up a webpage about some man who had beheaded the son of some king and used the head as a goblet. "Well... I'm fairly certain that the headless horseman was the headless one."

"Stories can be misinterpreted. Trust me, Wayland is _the_ headless horseman." Killian gave her a look. "Just like silver doesn't kill werewolves." He reached over and tapped the necklace on Emma's chest.

"But my blood does." Emma retorted, giving him a look. "Keep your hands to yourself, buddy."

Killian smirked. "Love, we _both_ know that you want my hands all over you."

"Stop." Emma said in a warning tone. She shifted beside him, giving him a sideways look. There had to be something wrong with _her_ because no one should find that hot. But, then again, no one else really had this experience.

He chuckled. "Whatever you say love." Killian clicked his tongue against his teeth. "We _both_ know otherwise."

She tried to play off the look he was giving her. Shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, before she elbowed him in the ribs. "_Behave_." She warned him again. "We have work to do here so you don't end up behind bars."

"I'd definitely prefer _not_ to end up behind bars. Full moons would be a bitch locked up." Killian said, scratching at his scruffy jaw, tilting his head to look at her as he did. "So how exactly do you plan to figure out who it might be?"

Emma turned to look at him, a smirk playing over her lips. "I told you, I have my ways." She clicked on one of the icons on her desktop. "One of my IT friends created this little program. See, sometimes I end up in towns that aren't forthcoming with their files. So this allows me to go through the back door. Indubitably a town like this isn't protected by firewalls."

Once the program opened up, Emma typed in the name of the police department and let the program work its magic. She'd been right in her assumption – Tarrytown Police Department wasn't very secure. The program cracked through the encryption with little effort.

"Now let's see what's in your file."

"_Emma_." Killian practically whined, covering his face in embarrassment.

Emma whistled in amusement as she scrolled down the various infractions he had on his record. "You have been indecently exposed _numerous_ times." She gave him a look, her eyes raking over him. "It's a shame there's no pictures here."

"Pictures do me no justice. Just say the word and I'll indecently expose myself for you."

She'd asked for that.

"Moving on…" Emma mumbled, her cheeks going red as she studied his record. "Damn, they really have thought you were a suspect for every single one of these girls' deaths."

Killian sighed heavily. "Aye. I've been hauled into the station, held overnight, and questioned every time someone turns up dead. I owe you for preventing that from happening this time." He said warmly, reaching out to rest his hand on her arm. "Though, I _think_ you enjoyed that charade. It's a shame all we actually did was sleep last night."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I'm trying to read here." But she didn't brush his hand off of her arm. Despite her protests, there was a little part of her that _did_ wish that more had happened last night. But she knew that not letting anything happen was for the best. Which was completely uncharacteristically _not_ like Emma. One night stands weren't a big deal to her. Killian on the other hand… that wouldn't jut be a one night stand, of that she was certain.

"You really are the _only_ person of interest they've looked into for this." Emma said as she came to the end of the file. "Which still leaves us at square one."

"Despite my alibis, they'll probably still come up with some way to pin this on me." Killian said with a heavy sigh, tapping his fingers against her arm. "Maybe you should skip town before they come to that conclusion. I don't want you getting any more involved in this than you already are."

Emma's brows creased together as she turned to look at him. "That's sweet Killian, but I'm not going to leave you stuck with this mess. Not when there's a chance that I might be able to help." She bit down on her bottom lip, her lashes fluttering. "I know all too well what it feels like to take the fall for someone else's crime – I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

Killian's hand moved down her arm, brushing his fingers over the back of her hand. "Sounds like you've got an interesting past." He said gently.

"It's not nearly as interesting as _your_ past, I assure you." Emma turned her hand over beneath his – her fingertips brushed over his fingers. She knew she was playing with fire and there was no way she could touch it without getting burnt. This was a completely different beast than any she'd contended with before.

"Regardless of whether you deem it interesting or not, I'm sure I'd find it _fascinating_." Killian drawled out, his own fingers playing over her hand, running them between her fingers as though he might lace them together.

Emma rolled her eyes, a smile playing over her lips as she met his eyes. He really did have insanely gorgeous eyes. They were blue like the sea. If she stared too long, she felt like she might just drown in them. "You're just saying that because you want in my pants." She retorted teasingly. "Not that I'm complaining."

Killian's brows shot upwards. "I can't tell if that was an invitation into your pants or not…" He chuckled, sliding his fingers between hers again.

"Maybe it was." Emma's voice wavered as she looked back towards her laptop. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Her lashes fluttering as she tried in vain to focus on the screen, instead of the man beside her.

Why _was_ she fighting this? It was clear that both of them wanted this. Where was the harm in having a little _fun_? Nothing was going to change the fact that she was leaving Sunday.

Killian shifted on the bed beside her, leaning closer to her, his lips linger near her ear. "If it was an invitation, perhaps you should put the computer away,_ love_."

"But I thought we were trying to clear your name." Emma said guilelessly, licking her lips before turning to look at him, underestimating just how close he was to her. Her breath caught in the back of her throat. She should have _never _kissed him earlier, because now she longed to kiss him again – for longer than a few seconds. To memorize the smoky, spicy way he tasted.

"There's plenty of time for that." Killian assured her, his nose brushing hers as he spoke. "But right now, I don't think either of us are thinking about the case."

Emma laughed, her lashes fluttering as their breath intermingled. "So _insistent_." She slowly closed her laptop, as though at any second she might decide to go back to work instead of giving into the need building within her.

Killian closed the distance between them, catching her lips. Emma groaned softly against his mouth, before sinking into the kiss. She pushed her laptop onto the bed beside her, turning so she was pressed closer to him.

And she'd thought that just being around him was _intoxicating_. Kissing him was overwhelming in all the best ways.

Emma's fingers found their way into his hair, toying with the hair at the nape of his neck. Her lips parted against his, her tongue darting out to slide along his lips, seeking entrance into his mouth.

Killian rolled them over, pinning her beneath him with his weight. He was_ sheer_ muscle. Sure, she'd seen him half naked only an hour or so ago, but _feeling _his weight pressing down her, his hard angles settling against her soft curves. He felt so powerful, yet he was being surprisingly gentle with her. Like he couldn't quite believe that this was really happening.

Then again, neither could she. This would only make things _more_ complicated.

She broke from the kiss, breathing raggedly as she looked up at him. "That was one hell of a kiss." She remarked, running her fingers down along his scruffy cheeks. "Is that _all_ you've got?" Emma hooked one leg around the back of his legs, drawing him down even closer to her. She could feel _him _pressing against her center.

"You couldn't handle it." Killian hissed out, dragging his teeth over her kiss swollen bottom lip.

"Oh, I think I could." Emma cocked a brow. "_You_ couldn't handle it Killian." She said lowly, her hands sliding down his back, tugging at the hem of his shirt. Her fingernails scraped over his lower back as she trailed the shirt up higher. It was kinda funny – just an hour ago she'd been _thankful_ that he'd put clothes on and now she wanted nothing more than to have him naked. Considering what she'd already seen… she was _denying_ herself something that was bound to be incredible.

It would be a short, weekend tryst – nothing more. She might have been his mate (whatever that implied) but she was going to leave Sunday and that was going to be that. She couldn't get her heart broken this way. She'd be the one leaving, not the other way around.

Killian trailed his hand along her side, coming to rest at her hip as he rocked down against her, making her gasp. The action had given her just enough friction to make her ache for so much _more_.

The wolf leaned in and dragged his lips along her jawline, coming to rest near her ear. "I can smell how much you want this. You're _fucking_ wet aren't you? You have been since we kissed. Trying so hard to act like you didn't want me to fuck you."

Emma bit her lip to stifle a groan. "I'm not even surprised that you're into dirty talk." She said lowly, her voice laced with desire as she turned to catch his lips.

"Problem?" Killian mumbled against her mouth, before the kiss shifted into something needy and desperate, their lips at war with each other for dominance. Emma broke the kiss to get his shirt off of him the rest of the way, tossing it off the side of the bed.

Emma smirked up at him, fluttering her lashes in a way she at least thought was seductive. She probably looked like she had something in her eyes. "None at all." She told him, scratching her nails over his shoulders as she leaned up to catch his bottom lip between her teeth. One hand slid from his shoulder, moving down over his chest, following the line of dark hair that vanished beneath his pants. "I don't need to have wolf senses to know that you've been _aching_ for me to touch you."

Killian licked his lips, his eyes half lidded as he looked down at her. "_Aye_. You'd be quite right, love." He rocked his hips, trying to get her hand closer, but instead of giving him that satisfaction, Emma used that moment of weakness to roll them over, so he was on his back beneath her.

"Did I really just overpower a werewolf? Aren't you supposed to be all strong and powerful?" Emma teased, her knees pressed into the mattress at either side of him, keeping herself above him so she wasn't giving him any satisfaction.

"I let you." Killian feigned, his hands moving to rest at her hips.

"_Uh-hu_." Emma snorted, a grin plastered to her lips. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had _fun_ like this in the bedroom. Sex was always just that thing she did to scratch an itch and move on with life. But with Killian, there was something fun and exciting about all of this. She wanted to give her best, to be playfully and seductive, even though she knew she was lacking in the latter.

She'd regret it if she let this slip by without sampling what he had to offer her.

Killian smirked up at her. "Maybe I let you for ulterior motives." He ran his tongue along his lips as his gaze raked over her. "Because from down here, I really have the best view."

Emma laughed, shaking her head. "I don't know… I think I've got the best view." Her brows rose upwards as she looked down at him, running her hands along his chest. "How many women can say they've got an incredibly hot werewolf pinned beneath them?"

"It'd be better if you could say that you've got an incredibly hot werewolf _in_ you though, wouldn't it?" Killian remarked, brushing his fingers along the zipper of her jeans, lightly running them along the seam of her pants, which brought him so close to where she wanted him.

Her eyes fluttered closed for a brief moment, before so pressed one hand against the mattress beside his arm and leaned down to kiss him. A thought crossed her mind that had her giggling against his lips.

"What is it?" Killian questioned, fingers winding through her golden hair.

Emma shook her head, pressing her lips together to keep from laughing and failing miserably as the giggles erupted past her lips.

"Emma?"

"I'm sorry, I just…" She covered his lips with her hand, grinning down at him. "I just suddenly realized I am about three breaths away from having sex with a kinda _ancient_ werewolf."

"I'm not _ancient_!"

Emma gave him a wide-eyed look. "I said _kinda_. Come on, you're a couple centuries old." She grinned down at him. "Do you bite?"

Killian growled playfully, nipping at her fingers. "What do you think?"

Emma tilted her head to the side as she looked down at him. "I think yes. I think the _big bad scary wolf_ bites." She tapped her finger against his lips. "You just can't bite too hard." She reminded him, her brows furrowing together. "I'm poisonous."

"Guess it's a good thing you're not sticking around, because I've got to draw blood from a bite to solidify our bond." He said humorlessly, his lips drawing into a thin line. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It's true. It's for the best." Emma bit down on her bottom lip, feeling self-conscious sitting there astride him. The sudden shift in mood was completely her fault too. She started to move, but Killian's hands kept her in place.

"Where are you going?"

"I was trying to get off of you." Emma replied, her eyes meeting his briefly. It wasn't like he was upset by what she'd said. He was still looking at her in that way that made butterflies flutter in her stomach.

"I'm not ready for you to go yet." Killian drawled out, dragging a finger along the waistband of her jeans.

Emma tucked her hair behind her ears, leaning down to press a kiss to his lips, cupping his cheeks as she leaned into the kiss. "I don't want to hurt you." She whispered against his lips.

"Trust me, you're not going to hurt me." Killian assured her, running his hands over her back.

She smiled sadly down at him, her eyes searching his. "No. I _will_." She leaned down to kiss him again, but her phone started ringing on the opposite side of the room, where she'd left in her leather jacket. "Saved by the bell." Emma muttered, more to herself than to him, as she got off of him and crossed the room.

It was David's cell, which meant it was probably Mary Margaret. Her friend had a habit of wasting all of her phone's battery taking pictures and uploading them online. She swiped her thumb across the screen, lifting the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" Emma said, glancing back over her shoulder at Killian.

"It's me!" Mary Margaret chimed on the other side.

"Hey Mary Margaret. How's Thanksgiving going with the in-laws?"

She laughed, "As well as you can expect. Still a bit unhappy about the two of us. But everyone's behaving themselves."

"Always good."

"I wish you'd come with us."

Emma opened her mouth to remind her friend that this year she hadn't actually invited her, but she decided it wasn't worth causing trouble. "I know. I know. But I ended up driving down to New York City after work last night."

"Oh? Did you get to see the parade this morning?"

Emma laughed, "Unfortunately not. I kinda forgot about that and all the hotels within an hour of the city were booked. I ended up in this little hole-in-the-wall called Tarrytown." She explained, moving to sit on the edge of the desk on the opposite side of the room. Killian was still sprawled out on the mattress, his arm thrown over his face. Considering how she felt right then, still a little on edge and wholly unsatisfied, she could only imagine how he was feeling.

"Is it a cute little town at least?"

Emma groaned. "No. Everything's closed. They didn't even have some cute Hallmark movie parade." She shook her head. "I was gonna head back up to Boston today since this place is a bust, but some murder happened down by the off ramp and I took that as a cosmic message to stick around longer."

"See, look at you listening what the world has to say to you."

"Take a page out of your book." Emma said with a grin. "Though, instead of a bird giving me answers, it was this dude at a cemetery. He told me why the road was closed."

"You were at a cemetery?"

Emma's brows shot upwards when Killian and Mary Margaret both spoke at the same time. Killian was now sitting bolt upright in the bed, glaring at her from across the room.

"Was that a guy I just heard Emma?"

Emma laughed nervously, widening her eyes at Killian. "No, it was the TV." Emma lied, pressing her finger to her lips to tell him to keep quiet.

"_Sure_. Have fun Emma. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

The line went dead before Emma had a chance to get a word in edgewise.

"Killian, next time I'm on the phone can you please be quiet?" Emma said with a huff, tucking her phone away in her jacket pocket.

"What did the man look like?"

Emma narrowed her eyes, her head cocking to the side. "He had one hand." She offered, giving him a questioning look. "Crazy messy hair… like he hadn't washed it in a month."

Killian moved from the bed, striding across the floor towards her. "Love, do you recall what I said to you about what that truck driver believe he'd seen?"

_Oh_.

"A man with a hook for a hand?" She swallowed thickly, the color draining from her face. "He didn't seem dangerous… just _odd_. I mean he was down by the water where I was." Emma pushed her fingers through her hair. "I asked him if the road had cleared up and he told me what had happened."

Killian arched a brow. "I think we have our first suspect who isn't _me_."


	5. Chapter 5

"You know," Emma started as she unlocked her car, pausing as she slipped inside, leaning over to push open the passenger door for him. "I had had this plan to come down here for Thanksgiving, spend a few days in the city, enjoy the nightlife, and escape from my _real _life."

"And instead you ended you ended up here doing more or less the same job?"

Emma gave him a sideways look as he climbed into the car beside her. "Yeah, something like that." She had _almost_ made a comment about how she'd also planned to a one night stand too, but given what they'd nearly done in the hotel room, she thought it was better to leave that out. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining… but the fact that I talked to this guy and he _might_ be the guy killing people, kinda gives me the heebie jeebies." She shuddered, before starting the car up.

"Consider yourself lucky." Killian remarked. She could feel his gaze on her face as she put the car into drive. "Why exactly were you sitting in the cemetery anyways?"

She shrugged, "I took the blocked ramp as a sign to stay around a little longer. I drove around and decided to see what the cemeteries here are like. There's a few up in Boston I enjoy sitting in from time to time." Emma laughed a little. "I felt like something was telling me to stick around."

"Oh?"

Now that she was back with Killian, surrounded by the all-consuming presence of him, she couldn't help but wonder if that pull had something to do with him. If they were supposedly _mates_, wouldn't that make sense?

"Yeah." She turned to look at him as she waited at the light at the bottom of the hill. "Do you have any idea who he might be? I mean do you have a handbook for the things that go bump in the night?" She grinned then, "Like the _Handbook for the Recently Deceased_ from _Beetlejuice_?" Emma questioned.

Killian snorted. "No. _No_. There's no handbook for any of this." He scratched at his scruffy jaw. "After we go to the cemetery we could always drop by Lyndhurst and browse Ed's library."

"I thought you said he doesn't like you all that much. Do you really think he'll help us out? I mean he thinks I'm nothing more than wolf's bane, right?"

"Wolf's bane _and_ my mate."

"That too." Emma laughed nervously, tapping her thumbs against the steering wheel. "I mean does that really hold any weight with your pack? I'm poison to you. You said it yourself, the only way for you to make the mate thing _real_ would be to bite me."

"And you're leaving Sunday."

"_Exactly_." Emma kept her eyes focused on the road in front of her as they drove through the town. "I just don't really think going over there is a good idea given all of that. I already had one brush with someone who might be a killer today, I'd _really _like to avoid that."

Killian made a sound that almost sounded like a growl, which made Emma's brow shoot upwards.

"Easy there Fido."

"I'm more than capable of protecting you."

"Maybe I don't _want _to be protected." Emma snapped back, her fingers tightening around the steering wheel. "I might not know anything about your kind or anything else in this weirdass little town, but I know not to get myself into situations where I'm going to get hurt."

"I see." Killian crossed his arms across his chest and looked out the passenger window.

Emma's brows furrowed together. Her words had been a double edged sword. She'd intended them to be. At least at first. As soon as they were out there, Emma regretted them. Killian was one of those things she knew not to get involved with. Because he could so _easily _hurt her, maybe without even meaning to. But that didn't give her any right to hurt him to keep her own heart safe.

"You know… just because I leave Sunday, doesn't mean we can't keep in contact." Emma told him, stealing a quick look at him, before turning her attention back to the road. "Maybe I'll come back for a long weekend or you can come up and see me."

"Does you apartment allow pets?"

Emma winced at the way his words came out so harshly. "No, but they don't have any rules against letting handsome guys crash in their tenant's apartments." She bit down on her bottom lip. "I'm sorry that fate or whatever didn't give you someone less complicated."

Killian shook his head. "I suppose fate knew that I quite like a challenge. But this… this is far more than what I ever expected." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "I didn't expect one at all, to be perfectly honest."

Emma smiled sadly, looking towards him again. "Does it just add insult to injury to say that we can still keep in touch?"

"A bit, yeah." Killian sighed heavily. "Better than nothing right?"

"I don't know…" Emma shook her head. "False hope can be pretty nasty." She slid her hands along the steering wheel, repositioning them lower as she continued down the road. They were almost to the cemetery now. "I've had my fair share of it and I'd have preferred that people were straight forward with me."

Killian sighed heavily, ruffling his fingers through his hair as he leaned back against his seat. "If that's so then why aren't you being straight forward with me?" She could feel his eyes boring into the side of her head. "Because back at the hotel…"

Emma bit down on her bottom lip, chancing a sideways glance towards him, before she flicked on her turn signal to pull into the cemetery. "I'm not going to deny the fact that you're _insanely_ hot or the fact that I'd be a straight up fool for not fucking you, but…" She stated, putting the car into park. "I suck at explaining things." Emma muttered, letting her head fall back against the headrest, her eyes closed as she tried to find the words. She _barely_ knew him and yet she didn't want to hurt him. Avoidance was really the best option right now. "Look, we don't have time to go through this." She unbuckled her seatbelt and moved to get out of the car. "We have to clear your name."

Killian was out of the car and standing beside her in the blink of an eye. Clearly being a werewolf came with a variety of perks, one being _speed_.

"Okay. What the _fuck_?" Emma's eyes widened as she met his intense gaze, her hand going to her chest, feeling her heart pounding beneath his palm.

"You don't have to use _words_ to explain, love." Killian drawled out, his hands moving to rest at her hips as he took a step forward, effectively backing her against her vehicle.

Emma pressed her palms against his chest, but she didn't push him back. Not yet. "We're standing in the middle of a cemetery where I might have run into a _murderer_ earlier. Now is really not the time." Her fingers curled in the material of his shirt, her eyes narrowing as she looked up at him.

Killian's tongue darted out over his lips, catching her attention despite herself. "I don't understand you Emma. You left me this morning because of _this_ and then you come back a few hours later wanting to save me from the fucked up blame-game I'm ensnared in. One minute you're all over me and the next you're acting like I have the bloody plague." He stepped closer to her, his breath dancing over her lips. "I'm getting whiplash, darling."

"This isn't the place Killian." Emma retorted, her voice strained. She could hear the steady thump of her pulse in her ears, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest as she met his gaze. Desire pooled between her legs and she _knew_ he knew. "If anyone should be acting like someone has the plague, you should be treating me like _I _am."

"You don't feel like poison to me right now, love." Killian breathed out, his fingers dancing along the waistband of her pants, "Unless poison is supposed to be intoxicating."

Emma swallowed thickly, her lashes fluttering. "It's always the things that can hurt us that we crave." She bit down on her bottom lip. "Like a moth to a flame." Her hands slid up from his chest, moving to rest on his shoulders. She still wasn't pushing him away.

"This moth doesn't care if he gets burnt."

"This moth _does_." Emma nearly choked on the words that were lodged in the back of her throat. "You are so much older than me Killian and that age has probably done wonders for what you're able to handle, but me? Hell, I've led a hard life, but none of that has hardened me enough to deal with the fall out of _this_." She lifted her hands to cup his cheeks, before she leaned up to kiss him. It was supposed to be a kiss to finish this. Or at least that's what she'd tried to convince herself that it was going to be. Instead it sparked something.

Killian wasn't hesitant at first with the kiss, before he sank into it and gave her everything he had. She _wanted _him even though she knew that she shouldn't. She craved him. And like he knew exactly where she needed him, Killian's trailed his fingers from her hip down between her thighs.

She groaned against his lips, her fingers curling around the collar of his shirt as she leaned into the kiss. She should _stop_, but she didn't want to. Sure, the location was _all_ wrong and there was a far more pressing matter they should have been focusing on, but it felt like it was now or never. And she wasn't about to let this be _never_. Sunday was still going to happen, but she needed _this_.

His fingers teased her through her jeans, his thumb pressing against the seam that sat directly against the bundle of nerves that had her muscles clenching in anticipation of so much more. The overwhelming sensation that came along with him seemed amplified in this moment. Like they were perfectly in tune with each other. Like what he felt, she felt too.

It was heady and intoxicating and there was no way to stop this now.

"_Killian_." She breathed out as she broke away from the kiss, her hands skimming down his chest, letting one hand trail lower to cup him through his pants. Anyone could find them here like this. Indecent exposure was the _last _thing she needed on her record. Especially in this town when God only knew what was going to happen if they got arrested for something like that. "We have to be quick."

Killian groaned something that sounded like her name as she stroked him through his pants, his hips rocking into her touch. Emma tugged at the zipper, gasping when he caught her wrist suddenly.

"You first." Killian mumbled as he leaned in to kiss her again. He had a point though, getting him out of his jeans would be _easy_, however with her pants she needed to take her boots off and then her jeans and her underwear. Sex like this was a hell of a lot of work.

Emma laughed, feeling her cheeks go red. "_Oh_." She leaned up and kissed him before she pushed him a step back, "There's an easier way y'know." She said lowly, biting down on her bottom lip as she popped the top button of her jeans, "And a terrible pun to go along with it."

"No puns." Killian grinned, leaning in to kiss her again, nipping gently at her bottom lip. His hands skimmed down her sides, settling at her hips, before he moved one hand to pull her zipper down. He slipped his hand into her pants, tracing his fingers along the waistband of her underwear.

"Are puns a mood killer?" Emma questioned, her fingers raking through his hair as he leaned up to meet his lips. She hadn't even had sex with him yet, but she had a feeling that sex with Killian toed the line of intense and playful.

"A bit." He muttered against her lips, nipping playfully at her bottom lip. His hand slid lower, fingers tracing over her center through her underwear. "You're just as wet as I thought you were." Killian said lowly.

Emma's lips parted with a breathy moan. "Just wait till you're in me." She rose up on her toes to meet his mouth again, pushing his hand away from her so she could push her jeans down her hips. What they were about to do was risky business, given where they were, but there was something ironic about fucking a _werewolf_ in a cemetery.

Killian met her with a wolfish grin, his eyes raking over her as he took a step backwards. He inhaled deeply, his tongue darting out over his lips. "I hope I don't have to wait too long." He pushed his trousers down his hips and this time it was Emma's gaze that traveled over the new expanse of bare skin.

"_Damn_." Emma bit down on her bottom lip, her brows rising upwards. The man was _incredibly_ endowed. "Are all werewolves as well hung?"

Killian smirked, "Haven't made it a habit of checking…and I sure hope you don't plan to make it a habit either."

"You don't have to worry there." Emma's cheeks went red at his words. Killian stepped closer towards her, his hand going to her hip. "I mean, unless you want me to _make_ you jealous." She said lowly.

His tongue darted out over his lips as he looked down at her, his blue eyes locking with hers. "Do you really want to make me jealous, darling?"

Emma arched a brow, "I dunno. Depends on whether or not it proves beneficial for me." She dropped her voice low. "Are you going to be territorial of me even though you can't _really_ mark me?"

His answer came as a kiss that stole the breath from her lungs. He pressed her back against her car, his fingers digging into her hips as his mouth slanted hungrily over her mouth. Tongue and teeth warring with hers, before he was pulling back and using his strength to turn her around.

Emma pressed her palms firmly against the side of her car, tilting her head to look back over her shoulder at him. Her eyes were hooded with desire, her heart pounding in her chest. He hooked his fingers in her underwear, dragging them down her hips.

"You are bloody _gorgeous_." Killian drawled out as he lazily trailed a row of kisses along the curve of her neck. His hand slid from her hip, around to tease at her slick sex.

"You're not so bad yourself." Emma retorted, leaning back against his chest, lifting her hand to curl around the back of his neck, turning her head enough to brush her lips over his jaw. She could feel his cock pressed against her ass, which caused desire to spike through her.

Killian growled against her neck, his teeth lightly scraping over her skin. "Didn't you say we'd have to be quick?" He questioned, pressing a single finger into her, his thumb rubbing over her clit.

"We… _are_ standing here in a cemetery." Emma gasped out, her head falling forward as he worked a second finger into her, making her back arch as she pressed back against him. "_Killian_."

"You're _mine_." Killian hissed out, his voice sounding so purely animalistic that it made her inner muscles clench around his fingers in anticipation. Those were words that should have turned her off. She was no one's but her own. But Killian was something entirely different. All the rules she played by when it came to sex were thrown out the window with him.

"I don't feel like yours right now." Emma gritted out, grinding back against him again. "I think you're all bark and no bite."

He pulled his hand away from between her thighs, fingers gripping at her hips as he bent her over more. His fingers brushed over her center as he lined his cock up, before he slowly thrust into her.

Emma cried out, her eyes clenching shut as he pressed into her, stretching and filling her impossibly. She kept one hand against the bug as she reached behind her, her fingers seeking purchase in _him_.

Killian pulled back, thrusting into her again, harder this time. She bit down on her lip to keep from crying out again, despite the haze of pleasure, she knew shouting out again like that could possibly alert someone to their presence. But she had a feeling that keeping quiet was going to be nigh close to impossible with the way he _felt_.

Killian was a _game changer_.

"_Fuck_." Emma gritted out between clenched teeth, rocking her hips back against him, meeting his movements.

Killian ran his hand up her stomach, cupping her breast and teasing her nipple through the material of her clothes. Heat rushed through her at the action, her lips parting with a breathy cry, unable to keep the sound at bay.

"You're _mine_." Killian rasped out, his teeth scraping over her shoulder. In this moment she _was_. Those words were insanely erotic in the moment, her body trembling beneath his powerful thrusts.

Emma nodded her head. "_Yes_." She reached around behind her to tangle her fingers in his hair. "Don't bite me." She reminded him, feeling his teeth brush over her skin again, harder this time.

"You have no _bloody _idea how hard it is to not." Killian growled out, his lips close to her ear. His freehand moved from her hip, slipping between her thighs to tease her sensitive flesh right above where they were joined. He was over stimulating her senses in ways she was fairly certain you only read about in Harlequin Novels or trashy editorials in Cosmo.

And she'd _nearly_ missed out on this.

"You can't bite me," Emma's words came out slurred and strained. "You can't because then this won't happen again." That said a lot without _actually _saying a lot.

Killian groaned, pressing an open mouthed kiss to her shoulder, his tongue darting out against her skin. "Is this going to happen again sweetheart?" He questioned, his finger still working over that sensitive little bundle of nerves between her legs. "Are you going to let me fuck you?"

Emma nodded her head, caught up in the onslaught of pleasure that was coursing through her. She was _right _on the edge of release. Her muscles trembling and tightening around him as he slammed himself into her again and again. She couldn't think of anything else. All she could think of was _him_.

"_Killian_." She breathed out, scrambling to curl her fingers around the wrist of the hand that was between her legs. "I-…_fuck_." Emma clamped her lips together, trying to keep the cry that rose up in the back of her throat from escaping. Her release hit in a rush of pleasure, her body going tight beneath him, her inner muscles clenching around him as he continued to thrust into her.

His teeth scraped over her shoulder again and for a split second she thought she was going to have to wrench herself from his hold to save him from what he was about to do. Killian went rigid, his hand gripping at her hip tightly as he filled her one final time.

"Bloody hell Emma." He breathed out, pressing his face into the crook of her neck. His arms wrapped around her, holding her steady, as if he knew she was feeling unsteady on her feet.

Emma laughed as she leaned back against him her eyes closed as she focused on getting her breathing under control, which was easier said than done. She felt so incredibly sated, so much so that she was fairly certain she was going to wake up in her bed back in Boston and find out she'd fallen asleep after work and all of this had been a work.

"Who gave you the right to be that damn amazing?" Emma questioned, tilting her head back to brush her lips over his jaw. "But we _do_ need to get dressed now before we over do our luck here."

She could cross off sex outside, sex in a cemetery, and sex with a werewolf now. All of which had _never_ been on her wish list.

Killian groaned as he pulled away from her and she instantly missed the heat of his body pressed up against her. He was so much warmer than what she was used to, which she assumed had something to do with him being a wolf. Emma kept her gaze low as she turned around to face him, her back pressed against her car for support as she pulled her underwear and jeans back up.

Mentally she was trying to rationalize with herself about how this was just sex to blow off steam, to satisfy the sexual tension that was plaguing them, to scratch the itch that was distracting them from their real mission. But it was hard make sense of sex _that_ good.

"I wasn't too rough was I?" Killian questioned, nudging her chin upwards with surprising gentleness, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Emma shook her head with a soft laugh, "No. I'm surprisingly sturdy." She assured him with a small smile. "Though I'm going to have a killer hickey on my shoulder, thank you very much."

Killian flashed her a sheepish grin. "It's instinct. You have no idea how strong the urge was to just sink my teeth into you." He shrugged his shoulders. "But I managed."

Emma lifted her hand to cup his cheek, brushing her thumb over his scruffy skin. "I'm proud of you for resisting the urge to kill yourself over sex."

He turned his head and kissed her palm, nuzzling at it. "Speaking of biting." He widened his eyes dramatically. "All bark and no bite?"

She laughed loudly then, a bright, genuine smile spreading over her face. "I didn't mean it like that!"

Killian tensed then. His expression shifted from playfully and happy to something dark and disturbed. His lips curled upwards into a snarl, his eyes darting around them.

"_Killian_?"

"Get in the car." He growled out, eyes flashing towards her for a brief second before he had his back to her in a defensive stance.

She could hear it now. Whatever it was that had caught his attention had come into her range of hearing. It sounded like a flock of a thousand birds approaching them. Sounds of high pitched squawks and the flapping of wings filling the air.

Emma jerked her car door open, slipping in quickly. She glanced back and realized that Killian was no longer standing where he'd been. Her brows furrowed and she looked towards the passenger door, expecting that he'd used that speed of his to make quick work of joining her in the car. But he hadn't.

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she saw in her windshield the source of the god-awful sounds. There were maybe thirty, fearsome looking creatures hovering above the ground before her. They were something between fairies and incredibly pissed off looking Amazonian women. Like Tinkerbelle and Wonder Woman had merged into one singular person… times thirty.

But they weren't the only thing outside of her car that took her by surprise. _Killian_. That would explain why she hadn't seen him when she looked out the window at first. He wasn't the man she'd just been talking to. He was a wolf. A very _large_ wolf.

The black wolf was crouched low before the flock of _whatever_ they were, his teeth bared and everything about his posture told her that he was equally pissed off. Fear coursed through her as she watched the scene before her unfold. It felt like she was watching a movie, the only difference was that it was _real_ life and there was no way in hell she was going to sit back and watch something happen to Killian. But what was she supposed to do? She didn't think the world had a fly swatter big enough for those things.

Before she had another second to process what was happening before her, they attacked.


	6. Chapter 6

Emma's eyes widened in horror as she watched the fairy creatures swoop at Killian. He dodged their initial attacks, snarling and leaping out of their way. But there were more of them than he was capable of avoiding. No matter how fearsome his growl was or how quickly he snapped at them, they were going to overpower him.

And all she could do was sit and watch with her stomach twisted into knots.

She had to be _dreaming_. There was no way in hell she'd ended up in a place where _warrior fairies_ existed to attack a _werewolf_. She was going insane. That was the answer to all of this. Insanity. Because this couldn't be real.

But it was.

Killian would narrowly miss one attack, only to be struck by another coming at him from the side or behind. He was starting to slow down, his movements more pained. Every strike of the creatures made the fierce wolf start to shrink, no longer as strong and mighty as he'd been at the start.

Emma's breath caught somewhere in the back of her throat as the wolf turned to look at her, before it collapsed to the ground. _No_.

"_Stop_!" Emma shouted as she slammed her car door shut. She should have been scared to death. These creatures had overpowered Killian's wolf form in a matter of minutes. She was _nothing_ in comparison to the wolf.

"It looks like we've got a hero on our hands." One of them remarked, glancing to her fellow warriors.

"Protecting a monster like him." Another _tsked_, flying towards Emma as if she meant to intimidate her. But Emma stood strong, unwavering, putting herself in between these unknown creatures and Killian behind her.

They surrounded her, wings spread out as they hovered several feet above the ground. At closer examination they looked like a cross between a raven or a crow, with some sort of fairy, and Amazonian woman.

"What _are_ you?" Emma questioned, her jaw set hard, her fists curled at her sides as she looked around the flock. They weren't attacking her, but they _were_ sizing her up.

One of them laughed coldly. "_Valkyries_.

"She keeps company with a spawn of Fenrir, but she doesn't know what _we_ are."

Emma's brow furrowed together. "Sorry, Norse mythology isn't really my strong suit." She glanced back over her shoulder at Killian. He was unconscious, but still breathing. His dark coat had spots that were matted and shiny from the blood they'd drawn. "Look. I don't know _what _or _who_ you are, but… neither of us want any trouble." Emma held her hands up.

"That _beast _was born to be trouble." Another voice chimed. "You should leave now. We'll take care of him, don't you worry about him."

She scoffed. "I don't think so." There was no way she was going to leave the cemetery without him. Even if it meant she was going to have to haul several hundred pounds of unconscious wolf into her car. "I'm not going anywhere without him."

"She's not just a hero," One started, moving to hover in front of Emma, piercing eyes raking over her face. "She's his _mate_."

"Who do you work for?"

"_Odin_." All of them remarked at once, their voices blending into one singular sound.

"I don't know anything about Odin," Emma admitted, trying to keep her voice calm even though her heart was pounding a mile a minute. "But I do know about Freyr." Like that mattered. She was fairly certain that Odin was Thor's father… maybe Loki's too. She hadn't really been a huge fan of Marvel movies and given Killian's typical response to her pop culture references, it was probably hugely inaccurate and more than a little offensive.

"Freyr's sister is one of us."

Emma's brows went up at that, "A Valkyrie?"

"_Obviously_." One remarked dryly.

"I'm supposed to be related to him or something. There's no reason to attack me. See we're related."

The collective laughed. The sound was bone chilling.

"She thinks she's _related_ Freyr. A little whore who fucks werewolves."

Something snapped in her at that remark. She'd been called a whore before – all because of the situation she'd been in when she landed herself in jail as an orphaned _pregnant_ teen. "Fuck you and your little Xena fairies." Emma snapped, her fists balling at her sides again. "Last time I checked – and while it's all news to me – I'm not just some little _whore_, I'm part of this screwed up Nordic mythology. You might not think I'm worthy of being related to one of yours, but I'm apparently the last descendent of Huldra." She lifted her hand, showing the mark on her wrist that Killian had pointed out to her.

The Valkyries pulled away from her, their wings curling against their backs. Their words were unintelligible to her, but whatever they were saying seemed to be marred with shock.

"You're spared today. There's nothing we love more than a harbinger of death." A Valkyrie declared. "We won't kill him. It's far more satisfying to know that his own mate will end his miserable existence."

With little preamble they swooped towards her, causing her to nearly lose her footing. She expected to feel them crash into her, but instead she opened her eyes and found them gone.

"How the hell did that work?" Emma muttered to herself, her brows furrowing together as she looked around her, checking to make sure they were _really_ gone. The cemetery was quiet again. She could hear the sound of the road behind her and the water running just over the ridge of the cemetery. There was no sound of wings flapping or archaic words.

"_Killian_." She moved to kneel beside the wounded animal. How the hell was she was supposed to get him into the car? Better yet, what was she going to do with him if she got him in the car? Animals weren't allowed in the hotel and how would she get him _in_ the hotel? Rolling in a massive wolf on a luggage cart would look incredibly suspicious.

Hesitantly Emma reached out pet the wolf, impressed by how soft his pelt was, but far more concerned by the fact that his fur was wet with the blood they'd drawn. "Oh God." She breathed out as she pulled her hand away, the crimson color staining her palm. "You have to wake up Killian." She leaned down, pressing her ear against the animal's chest, listening for his heart beat. It was strange to think that this _wolf_ was the same as the man she'd just had sex with.

The wolf made a strange sound, half growl half whimper.

"_Easy_. Easy boy." Emma sat up, brushing her hand over his side gently. "I'm not going to hurt you." She didn't know how aware he was of who she was like this. She'd seen enough werewolf interpretations to make her wonder which one was _accurate_.

Killian lifted his head off the ground, his silvery blue eyes marred with pain as he looked at her.

"Do you think you can get up?" Emma questioned, gently scratching at his ear, trying to keep him calm in case he was in excruciating pain. "You're going to be okay, buddy." She couldn't talk to him like he was a person, even though she knew that he was. It was funny how you see a dog and easily slip into that voice people use with dogs and babies.

The wolf started to move, unsteady on his feet at first. Emma kept close to him, ready to support him if he needed her too. "There you go." She leaned down to pet his head, before she nodded towards her vehicle. "Let's get you in there."

He hung his head as he limped towards her car, looking worn and exhausted – which he had every right to be, considering how much blood he seemed to have lost. Emma pulled open the door for the backseat, watching as the wolf placed his front paws on the seat, before hauling the rest of himself into the vehicle.

"Don't worry Killian, I'll get you patched up as soon as possible." Emma assured him, shutting the door behind him, before opening her own to get inside of the car.

"Thank you."

Emma _almost_ screamed. She had not been expecting to hear Killian's voice. Nor was she expected to find him lying in the backseat of her car, dressed in the clothes that he'd had on before, only torn and tattered from his encounter with the Valkyries.

"You scared the hell out of me." Emma pressed her hand to her chest, leaning forward to rest her forehead against the steering wheel. "Are you okay?"

"I'll live." He hissed out, before letting out a string of swear words and grunts of pain. "They got me bloody good. Them damn bastards. I have never in my whole bloody _fucking _life had them attack m. And I've spent a good part of my life out in the open. How the hell did you get them to leave?"

Emma's brows knit together and she turned to look back at him. He was a complete mess. He had looked like hell as the wolf, but now that he was in his human form again, the amount of wounds on his body was appalling. They didn't look _as_ bad as she'd expected them to be, but he was still covered in them.

"I told them." She said quietly, biting down on her bottom lip for a moment before she continued. "I didn't know what else to do and they struck a nerve. I just sort of burst and explained what I am to them."

"_Emma_." Killian hissed out. "You told a legion of _Valkyries_ what you are?"

Emma bristled. "You were laying on the ground and for all I knew you were _dying_. I didn't know what to do!" She turned to look back at him, her brows furrowing together. "It got them to leave us alone." She wasn't about to dwell on what their parting words had been – about her being the reason he'd die eventually.

"You got rid of them because they flew off to tell Odin that there is one last way to kill Fenrir's kin." Killian gritted, his jaw set hard with frustration.

Emma threw her hands up in mock defense, "That's not my _fault_ Killian! I didn't know what to do. I just figured that was I apparently am was something to use as a form of defense. I didn't even know what those women were until _they _told me." Her voice was strident. "You left me in the car and went out there to face them and you almost got yourself _killed_."

"I would have been fine."

"_Right_." She laughed bitterly. "Because once they got you down for the count they were just going to leave you be." Emma covered her face, letting out a heavy sigh. "I don't like being out of my element. I always know what to do. I'm always in control of situations. This is why _this _can't ever be my life Killian." Now was not the time to drive home that point, but Emma didn't always think things through before she said them out loud.

"Well aware of that, love. Which is why you're leaving Sunday. I assure you that sex and a slight battle haven't addled my brains too much." Killian retorted dryly, collapsing back against the seat. "Just get me to the hotel."

Emma's brows furrowed as she looked at him. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Yes you did."

"No, it's just… I don't know anything about this world I've found myself in now. I thought they were going to _kill_ you Killian. I thought you were going to die in front of me and I panicked." She shook her head. "Don't damn me for that."

"I shouldn't have snapped at you like that love." Killian rubbed his lips together as he met her gaze, before he was wincing in pain, clutching at his side. "I'm fine."

Emma frowned. "You could always blame the pain for snapping."

He shook his head. "That's not the noble thing to do. If I'm being an arse I should own up to it."

"You're really one of a kind." She forced a smile before turning her attention back to starting the car up and heading out of the cemetery. Silence fell between the pair of them. The only sounds in the car were of his somewhat strained breathing and the thoughts bouncing around her mind.

She was _fucked_. Not just literally, but figuratively too. She was in far too deep. She _cared_ about the man in the backseat. She cared about what happened to him. She wanted to make sure he got cleared of the suspicion of the murders (which was clearly _not_ happening today), she wanted to know if he'd ever clear up his problems with his pack leader, and now she wanted to make sure those creatures didn't come back to finish what they'd started. Sure, they might have said _she_ would be the one to cause his death, but she didn't trust them. How could she?

"Guess we're not finding your one handed friend today." Killian remarked, filling the silence.

Emma laughed, glancing back at him in the rear view mirror. "I was literally just thinking that." She smiled at him, before turning her attention back to the road. "Do you happen to know if there's a place in town to get some bandages for you?"

"There's a little CVS on the main road," He answered, "It might be open today."

"_Right_. Thanksgiving." It would definitely be a memorable Thanksgiving. Fucked – by a werewolf – in a cemetery and then subsequently attacked by Valkyries. "Do you need anything else, aside from bandages?"

"Can you get me some soda?"

"What kind?"

"Mountain Dew. Thank you."

Emma shook her head, "It's no problem, honestly."

Thankfully the CVS _was_ open on Thanksgiving and they had plenty of bandaging and antiseptic in stock. Along with a six pack of Mountain Dew for Killian, Emma opted to get them a few bags of munchies and a six pack of beer (because if today was any indicator what the next few days were going to be like, they'd need it).

"How are you holding up back there?" Emma questioned as she rejoined him in her car.

"I've been better, darling." Killian drawled out. His voice was far more strained than his typical smooth, dulcet tones. His jaw was set so hard she could see the muscle twitching.

"We'll be in the hotel in a few." She offered, glancing back at him in the rear view mirror, before setting off down the main stretch, back towards the hotel. If he was in this much pain right now, just sitting in the car, she didn't have a goddamn idea how she was going to get him in the hotel. Emma could _feel_ the pain radiating off of him, the same way she'd been able to feel the desire that had poured off of him when they first met. "Please tell me you heal fast."

"What?"

"You know, like werewolves in stories… they always have hyped up healing mechanisms." Emma glanced back at him quickly, before focusing on the road. They were _almost_ there.

"Doesn't work quite like that, sweetheart." Killian exhaled sharply, telling her that he'd shifted abruptly. "Only _mated_ werewolves get that nifty trick. Your media really needs to get the facts straight so we've not got a bunch of clueless fools wandering around."

Emma huffed. "I'm not a _fool_, it was an honest question." She knew exactly why he'd taken that question as an offense the second the word _mated_ slipped from his lips. "You do know it's not _my_ fault that we can't be mates, right? I didn't choose to be bane of our species."

"If you _weren't_ what you are, would you even humor the idea of sticking around?"

Her brows knit together. "I don't know." She admitted honestly, because she _didn't _know. There was a part of her that longed to stay, to figure out what this world was – to figure out if there was some way to find her real parents, whomever they were. To maybe have _him_ – someone who was hers and hers alone. But she knew how hoping always turned out. She knew what it was like to build dreams on someone, an idea, a promise. It was as likely to happen as the chances of walking outside and picking the _one_ star in the sky to fall that night.

"Maybe I would." Emma added, tightening her grip on the steering wheel. "Maybe I'd stick around longer. But I can't see how me staying any longer _now_ will do either of us any good. Maybe if I leave this place there's a chance you'll find another mate."

"I wasn't asking if you'd stay _now_, lass." Killian pointed out, "But I assure you, there's not a second mate out there in the world for me."

She chewed on her bottom lip as she pulled into the hotel parking lot. He had her there. The only reason she mentioned _now_ was because she was thinking about _now_. She was thinking about the fact that she felt _something_ for him and it wasn't just because she'd fucked him either. Something had been bubbling under the surface since the morning when she'd hauled ass to get away from him.

She ran because of those feelings.

For so long she'd always cared about just herself and now she found herself worrying about _him_.

"Do you think you'll be able to make it in?" She questioned, avoiding the conversation for the time being.

"I'm a hell of an actor, I'll be fine." Killian retorted, moving to sit upright.

Emma turned the car off, turning around to look back at him. "I know we've established that Edward's not a fan of myself, but is there any chance that he's got clothes you could borrow or something? You look like you've been through war."

Killian snorted. "I've got clothes of my own out where I've been living."

Her brows rose upwards. "And where have you been living?"

"In a tent in the woods around Lyndhurst."

"And Edward hasn't offered to let you live in that huge ass house with him?"

"No, because he doesn't want to be associated with me. Heaven forbid he be harboring a criminal or something." Killian retorted dryly.

Emma pushed the car door open, grabbing the CVS bag, before stepping out and pulling his door open for him. "And why is he allowed to be pack leader if he doesn't help his pack? I mean, I don't know much about your kind, but that sort of shitty behavior can't be permissible."

Killian gritted his teeth as he stepped out of the car, his hand pressed to his side with a pained look. "Everyone's afraid of him. I mean you saw him, he's got that ready-to-kill look about him. He's the only descendent around here. We'd have to form a pack without the guidance of descendent and..."

"And _what_? I mean does something happen if you don't have a Fenrir descendent? Does the world stop?" Emma snapped her fingers together. "I know what happens – it causes Ragnarok?"

"Ha ha _ha_. You're hilarious. Where ever did you learn that one? From watching _Thor_?"

Emma flashed him a too-sweet grin. "You got me."

"You're so bloody clever Swan." Killian drawled out, forgoing his pain to reach out and play with her hair.

She swatted at his hand. "You never stop do you?"

His tongue darted out over his lips. "Where's the fun in that?"

Emma narrowed her eyes. "You have all sorts of sore spots. I can make you hurt buddy."

"I might be sore, but everything's intact, love." Killian grinned. "_Oh_. So harsh. Love, you wound me."

"Not yet, I haven't." Emma grabbed his arm, before using her free hand to push the car door shut. "Come on."

"Can't wait to get me behind doors, huh?"

He was honestly the most frustrating man she'd ever met. One minute he could go from being pained from being attacked, to being a flirtatious bastard. And it didn't help that she _still_ wanted him, despite everything. It was worse now, of course – because she knew what being with him was like. She was typically a one and done girl, but… he was a game changer. It was probably a blessing in disguise that he'd been hurt, because now he was out of commission. More or less.

"_Killian_." Emma gave him a look. "You are covered in blood and wounds. Why the hell are you thinking about sex right now?"

He smirked at her, batting his lashes. "Keeps my mind off the pain."

She arched a brow. "Well quit it."

"Am I getting to you?"

"_Nope_." Emma retorted crisply, her lips pressed into a thin line as she steered them into the hotel, thankful that the people behind the front desk were busy with new guests and not paying much mind to them. They headed towards the elevator.

Killian tilted his head to look at her and she could feel the heat of his gaze against her skin. At least now she could feel desire radiating off of him, instead of pain. "Not even a little?"

"Not even a little." Emma replied, even as she laced her fingers with his, stepping onto the empty elevator. "Why are you so insistent to get at me?"

Killian squeezed her hand. "Because this is nice." He admitted quietly, casting his gaze away from her.

"What? Getting your ass kicked by warrior fairies?"

"No." Killian said, his voice turning serious. "I mean, _this _is nice. Having someone to talk to and to take care of me when I get hurt. It's nice to not be alone for once."

"You're not really alone Killian. You have a pack here." Emma tried to dismiss his words, but the truth was – she got what he meant.

"And you don't have friends back in Boston?"

"I don't see how that matters."

Killian's jaw set hard, his eyes meeting hers. "Because you're just as much a loner as me. You have that small network of people you pretend are there for you, but the real truth is, you're used to being alone."

Emma swallowed thickly. "My friends _are_ there for me."

"Then why aren't you with them?"

Her expression fell. "Because they didn't ask me this year."

"And why's that?"

"That's none of your business Killian."

"Did you turn down their offers?"

Emma tensed, pulling her hand away from his. "_Stop_." How the hell did he know that? Was she that easy to read? She hadn't even pointed it out to Mary Margaret earlier when she'd insinuated that she had asked Emma to join them, when she actually hadn't.

"I'm right aren't I?" Killian questioned, leaning closer to her, dropping her voice low. "You're an open book, love. Rather you wish to be or not."

"If you weren't hurt right now…" Emma was thankful as the elevator doors whooshed open.

"What would you do?" But he clearly wasn't going to let go of this. Like a dog with a bone.

"I'd punch you in the damn face." Or kiss him. Definitely kiss him. Why _wasn't_ she kissing him right now? Because she knew better. Emma whirled around to face him as he stepped out of the elevator. "Look, the _thing_ back in the cemetery… That's a onetime thing."

"_Oh_?"

"Yeah." Emma crossed her arms across her chest. "So drop the flirting because I'm not in the mood. This _is_ nice and I'm enjoying myself. But let's keep ourselves focused on what really matters. Let's get you bandaged up and head over to Lyndhurst to research."

Killian narrowed his eyes. "You'd rather go talk to Edward than let me flirt with you?"

Emma's lashes fluttered as she met his gaze. "It's not about letting your flirt with me. I don't give a fuck if you flirt with me, Killian. What I care about is either one of us getting hurt." The words the Valkyries had said to her were echoing in her mind. "You said it yourself, you had a hard time resisting the urge to bite me. It's better if we refrain from _anything_ that might inspire you to take a bite out of me, because then you'll die and I don't want to be at fault for that."

"You raise a fair point, love. But I assure you that I am quite capable of resisting the urge to sink my teeth into your neck."

Emma stepped towards him. "For how long though? Isn't biting me a primal need of yours?"

He canted his head to the side, frowning as he looked down at her. "Aye, it is. But I don't want to wish to sacrifice this."

"But what if you _can't _resist? What do you expect me to do? Let you bite me and die? There's an easy way to prevent that from happening." She rubbed her lips together, shaking her head.

Killian reached out and cupped her cheek, his expression pained as the motion must have pulled on torn skin. "Love, what changed all of this? Did the Valkyries say something to you?"

Emma's brows knit together, her gaze dropping downwards to avoid his impossibly blue eyes. "Yeah, they did. They called me a harbinger of death… and they pointed out that they wouldn't kill you because your mate would be the one to do it."

Killian shook his head, "Emma, love, they were just trying to _unnerve_ you. They're not the fates. They're Odin's little minions."

Emma blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the tears she felt pricking the back of her eyes, but it was useless. A tear slid down her cheek, followed by another. "Seeing you laying there on the ground… hearing them say that… it just sort of made me realize how _real_ this is. It's not a game. It's not some story in a book. This is real and you're real and…" Emma bit down on her trembling lip. It was ridiculous how _scared_ she felt. "I've had a lot of people come into my life and promise me all sorts of things. I had foster parents who promised me a home forever, only to turn me back over to the system. I had boyfriends who acted like they could win me the moon and I got nothing but heartbreak. You might be cursed with being a werewolf, but I'm cursed with _losing_ people, losing everything."

Killian leaned in then and covered her lips with his. She sank into the kiss, tasting her own tears as their lips slanted against one another. She had _never _fallen this fast for someone, or cared so quickly. It had to be because of their bond. They couldn't make it _real_, but it was still there, right on the surface.

He broke from the kiss first, his forehead pressing against hers as his hand settled at her hip. "I'm good at surviving. You don't have to worry about me Emma."

A tearful smile crossed her face, "You better mean that." She bit down on her bottom lip before she pulled away from him, reaching down to take his hand. "Let's go get you bandaged up."

She held his hand tightly while she could, afraid to let him go just yet. She released her hold only long enough to unlock their room and slip inside. As she closed the door she realized that she'd made her choice.


	7. Chapter 7

Emma made a face as Killian pulled off his torn up shirt, tossing it to the floor as he moved to sit himself on the very edge of the bed. It wasn't as bad as she'd expected and she couldn't help but wonder if that had something to do with the fact that he'd been a wolf when he'd gotten hurt – that fur had to soften the blow somewhat.

"Now I'm regretting that I didn't appreciate all of this while I had a chance to see it all unmarred." Emma said with a wry grin, trying to keep their spirits up as she grabbed the bandages off the bed beside him.

Killian gave her a look. "You can _still_ appreciate it."

"It's gonna be all covered up." Emma widened her eyes dramatically as she climbed onto the bed, moving to sit on her knees behind him. Her fingers lightly brushed over his shoulder, her brows furrowing together, "You know, this is gonna hurt like a bitch."

"Do you worst darling." He remarked, glancing back at her. "You could always kiss it and make it better."

Emma laughed as she poured the antiseptic on a piece of gauze. "Maybe I will." She said playfully, wiping at the first set of cuts, noting the way his body tensed beneath her touch. She didn't _want_ to hurt him, but she didn't want him to get an infection either.

"_Talk_."

"About what?" Emma questioned, wetting a new piece of gauze and working to clean another series of injuries along his back.

Killian grunted. "You keep mentioning this past of yours… Tell me about it."

"I don't…" She _didn't_ talk about her past, not even her closest friends knew much about her past. "I don't usually tell people about it, Killian." She rested her hand against his back gently, inhaling shakily. "But I guess I can tell you."

Emma shifted to grab some of the Band-Aids she'd bought, peeling the backs off to place them over the cuts she'd cleaned. "It's a miracle I'm even alive today. I was found _abandoned_ on the side of the road. Some Good Samaritan saw something moving on the side of the road, thought I was an injured animal or something, much to their surprise it was a baby. My file says I spent the first couple days in a foster home, while the police tried to figure out who would dump a _new born_ baby on the side of the road. When no one came forward I ended up as a permanent ward of the state. I grew up being bounced around foster homes. Some were really good and someone were nightmare homes."

"_Emma_-"

She wetted another piece of gauze and pressed it to his skin to keep him from saying anything else. "No. I don't want sympathy." The last thing she wanted was his sympathy. Her situation had sucked, but it was in the past. She wasn't some emotional charity case any longer.

"Understood." Killian replied, glancing back at her over his shoulder.

Emma sighed heavily. "There was one family when I was four that almost adopted me. They had the papers and they told me I was going to be their daughter. But then something happened and they acted strange with me the next day. They were going to have their _own_ baby." She gave a sharp, sarcastic laugh. "Why should they want me?" She pulled out a few more Band-Aids, taking her time unwrapping them, trying to push back the lump of emotion in the back of her throat.

There was so much irony in the fact that she was covering him in Band-Aids and cleaning his wounds, while she was ripping off old Band-Aids and picking at long forgotten scars.

"Not much else happened between then and the time I was about thirteen. That was the first time I attempted to run away the second attempt came when I was fifteen and a little more street smart. That didn't go as planned and I ended up back in the system until my sixteenth birthday when I was no longer obligated to stay in the home. I ended up living on the streets, stealing money and food, breaking into people's houses at night to sleep on their sofas while they were away on trips." She couldn't believe how easily it was all coming out of her mouth. Killian was so incredibly easy to talk to.

It should have scared her. She could easily bare her soul to him. She already had really. The fact that she was still there was testament of that. The friends she had back in Boston knew very little about her. Mary Margaret knew some of the gritty parts of her teen years, but not the full truth on the biggest black smear of her past.

"I was _almost_ seventeen. Well, more like sixteen and a quarter, but that was almost seventeen to me." Emma laughed, shaking her head. "I was _so _stupid. I fell for this guy, named Neal, who was _a lot_ older than me. He was probably twenty-two, twenty-three. I was mature for my age, so I don't even know if he knew how old I was now that I think about it." She had to keep her hands busy cleaning Killian's back. "Long story short, he was a con-man straight up. He played me from beginning to end. He promised me the world. I thought I'd finally lucked out and found someone who wanted me and wanted to have a home with me, even if it was nothing more than a car." She bit down on her lip, blinking her eyes rapidly as she felt tears stinging the backs of her eyes. "He was wanted by the police for some stolen merchandise, so he set it up so I could go and get it for him because they weren't looking for _me_. But he called the police on me. He just wanted someone to fall for his crime so he could go free." The worst part hadn't even been said yet. Would Killian think less of her? Her past really sucked.

"You alright back there love?"

"I'm fine," Emma said _too_ quickly. "I just don't want you to look at me differently."

"Nothing you could tell me would make me look at you any differently, lass."

Emma smiled at his words, touched by the sincerity in them. "I ended up in jail for a year for a crime I never committed. I committed plenty in my short life, but that wasn't one I should have taken the fall for." She paused again, trying to find the right words to say. "I found out I was pregnant while I was jail. I was just a kid. There was no way I was going to be able to have a baby." She fingers were trembling, she could barely peel the backing off the Band-Aid she was fumbling with. "I was going to give the baby up for adoption, but I guess fate wanted to make sure I didn't change my mind because I ended up miscarrying."

Killian shifted then, turning to face her, meeting her gaze. "I'm sorry Emma."

"I said I didn't want sympathy."

"I know, but… you shouldn't have had to go through that alone. You shouldn't have had to go through _any_ of that period." He lifted his hand to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing over the rise of her cheekbone. "I wish I could take that pain away."

Emma laughed. "You're in enough pain right now, Killian. You don't need my emotional baggage. You've got your own, I'm sure." She shook her head, pulling his hand away from her cheek.

Killian squeezed her hand tightly. "You're an incredibly strong woman."

"Guess fate knew you needed a mate who was tough as nails." Emma teased lightly, reaching for the gauze again. "Turn back around, I wasn't done yet. You've got like four more back here I need to clean up."

"After you're done with my back, how do you want me?"

Emma couldn't suppress the sound of amusement that escaped her mouth. "That is _such_ a loaded question." She stifled her laughter. "I can probably do it with you laying down."

Killian chuckled. "If that's what the lady wants… I mean, I'm not used to being on my back, but I'm willing to give it ago if you are."

"Oh my God. Shut up." Emma slapped his hip playfully. "You and I both know that _that_ is not what I meant." She laughed, unable to keep from smiling brightly at him.

"I'm not convinced." Killian retorted, holding her gaze. "I might be hurt, but I assure you, everything still works."

"_Quit_." Emma said sternly, though she had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. "And hold still." She poured more of the antiseptic on the gauze, before wiping at the last of the cuts on his back. "Are those Valkyrie things something you deal with a lot?" She questioned, veering away from their conversation about having him on his back.

Killian let out a hiss of pain before he started to speak, "No. I mean, occasionally we'll hear about werewolves being attacked by them. Sometimes the odd vampire will get nearly staked by them." He shrugged his shoulders. "They do Odin's bidding, so they're sort of a wild card among us. Their original purpose was to deem who would die in battle, but over the centuries they've evolved into Odin's birds of prey."

Emma frowned. "So, what you're telling me, is that Odin decided to have them attack you?" That certainly didn't sound _good_. She knew enough to know that Odin was essentially _the_ god, which meant having him want Killian dead was kinda a big deal. "Why do you have a target on your back suddenly?"

Killian shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. But then again, I also don't know why I've suddenly become the person of interest in some murders either. Clearly someone wants me dead." He laughed bitterly. "Perhaps Odin's miffed that another one of Fenrir's mutts has found his mate. Joke's on him, really. It's not going to have a happily ever after."

"And he knows that now. Since I told them what I am." Emma added, her fingers gently playing over his skin. She was done with his back, but she wasn't ready to start with his chest yet. "Do you think it's possibly Odin's doing then? You getting set-up for those murders?"

He scoffed. "That doesn't seem like his style. He doesn't tend to get his hands dirty like that. Besides, that all started before you showed up."

"I mean they seemed surprised to find out what I am, so maybe Odin didn't even know that you'd found me." She felt like they were talking in roundabout, crazy circles. None of this made any sense.

Killian leaned back then, until the back of his head was against her shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

"Laying on you."

"I noticed that." Emma laughed, scrunching up her nose at the way his hair was tickling her neck. "But why?"

"Because I'm exhausted and in pain." Killian retorted dryly. "And you were behind me." He tilted his head and brushed his lips against her neck. "I was aiming for the bed."

"_Mhm_. I'm sure that's what you were aiming for." Emma said skeptically. "How about you let me finish bandaging you and I'll let you rest before we head over to Lyndhurst."

Killian groaned, "Why do we have to go over there?"

"Because I saw a massive library when you took me in there and I'm hoping to get some answers out of it." Emma tried to wiggle out from under him, which didn't work as well as she'd planned. "Come on, get up."

"He _hates _me. This is a terrible idea. He wouldn't even stop if he saw me dying in a ditch." Killian complained, his voice coming out like a petulant child. "And you're our kind's bloody undoing so why do you think he'd help you?"

"Because I'm not going to give him a choice in it." Emma squirmed beneath him. "Alright, get up now Killian. You're acting like a Great Dane who thinks he's a lap dog. _Up_." She snapped her fingers.

"I am _not_ a dog." Killian huffed, pushing himself up then. He shot her a look as he shifted and fell back against the mattress beside where she was sitting.

Emma arched a brow. "_Really_? Because you definitely turned into this big furry dog like thing earlier."

Killian covered his face with his arm. "That doesn't mean I'm a _dog_ Emma."

She laughed. "Fine. _Fine_. You're not a dog." Emma tucked her hair behind her ears, looking down at him. "Are you going to go over there with me or do I have to go alone?"

He moved his arm to peer up at her. "Going over there alone would be asking to get murdered, love." He sighed heavily, rolling his eyes. "I'll go with you."

"Thank you." Emma said with a pleased grin plastered to her face. She leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to his lips, surprising _both_ of them. Her cheeks went red as she pulled away, biting down on her bottom lip. "Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Killian questioned, reaching up to play with her hair. "There's no harm in a kiss darling."

Emma fixed him with a look. Being around him felt so natural, so _easy_. She tried not to let that scare her, but it did. "So if Ed can smell me, does that mean you can smell me?"

"You're changing the subject."

"Because he said that I _reeked_ of wolf's bane and I was just wondering if you could smell it too." Emma made a face. "I can't imagine that being particularly appealing."

Killian narrowed his eyes as he looked up at her. "I can smell _something_, but I assure you that it's barely noticeable." He sat up slowly then, his eyes searching her face as he moved closer to her. "What's far more noticeable is the way you react so deliciously to me." He drawled out with a smirk curving his lips upwards at the corners.

Emma licked her lips, "Behave yourself Killian." Her gaze flickered between his eyes and his lips, despite her words. "You're just trying to distract me." She pressed her hand against his chest. "And you're hurt."

"It certainly didn't _hurt _when you kissed me." His eyes were dark with desire that she was trying to ignore.

"I'm sure." She found herself leaning closer. She was drawn to him like a moth to the flame. "One more kiss, but you _have_ to promise me that we'll go over there."

"I _promise_." Killian drawled out, brushing his fingers along the rise of her cheekbone. "I wouldn't let you go over there alone, it's too dangerous."

"And the next time we get attacked," Emma added, her eyes holding his gaze. "I don't want you playing hero. Get in the damn car with me."

Killian pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek. "I don't know if I can promise that."

"That's too bad then," Emma said with a sassy little smile, pulling away from him then.

Killian grabbed her arm, pulling her back to him. "I was protecting you and I plan on continuing to protect you. I get that you're used to doing things on your own and looking out for your own back, because I'm used to that too. But things are different now. As long as you're with me, I'm going to do what's right. I'm going to protect you, like a mate should."

"I don't want you to get hurt again and definitely not because of me." Emma shook her head.

Killian gave her a look, "You're willing to go storming into Lyndhurst to get answers for _me_. Which is purely madness, might I add. Ed's not a fan of either of us."

Her brows furrowed together. Everything made sense now. The drive to help him – the one that had made her not want to leave him behind to deal with the murder suspicion; that had all been because he was her mate. "That's why I can _feel_ you right? Why I can't bear the thought of you being in trouble? Because I'm your mate?"

Killian nodded his head, cupping her cheek. "Aye, love. That's exactly why you're feeling all of that. Because the powers that be decided that you and I were one kindred spirit, two parts of a single flame, two sides of the same coin."

"I get it." Emma laughed, a sort of bubbly, nervous laugh. "We were made for each other." She closed her eyes. "What I don't get is _why_ they put us together. Who the hell did we piss off in a past life to be bound to someone we can't even really be with?"

"I wish I knew. It ain't bloody fair."

Emma cupped his cheeks, leaning in and kissing him then. She could keep coming up with excuses for why she wanted to kiss him, whether it be to shut him up or keep herself from saying something stupid. But at the root of it wasn't just that she wanted to kiss him, but she_ needed_ to kiss him. She needed _him_.

Her fingers trailed from his scruffy cheeks to wind through his dark hair. She was careful about the way she leaned against him, not wanting to hurt him, but at the same time, wanting to be closer to him.

One of his hands ran along her spine, while the other tangled in her hair, cradling the back of her head as he deepened the kiss. Emma's tongue danced over his lips, seeking entrance which he readily granted.

She didn't know what excuse she would give Sunday when she called her boss and explained that she was going to need more time off. What would her friends think when she finally came back to Boston with him in tow? They would always have to be careful, but it would be worth it.

Killian pulled back, breathing raggedly, "Bloody hell."

Emma licked her lips, her lashes fluttering as she met his eyes. "_Damn_." She ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it back over her shoulders. "Let's get you bandaged up."

Killian gave a pointed look downwards, "You sure you don't want any help there love?"

Emma's cheeks burned as she busied herself with getting a new box of Band-Aid's out of the bag. "I'm fine." She said breathily, her heart pounding in her chest as she avoided his heated gaze that she could feel burning into her skin.

"Your body says otherwise, darling." Killian's fingers brushed over her upper thigh and she quickly swatted them away.

"Stop it." Emma warned.

"You're _soaking_ wet, sweetheart." He said lowly, dropping his voice to a tone that he seemed to know drove her wild. "I know you're worried about me being hurt, but my fingers aren't broken."

Emma grabbed a piece of gauze and poured antiseptic on it, quickly applying it to a particularly nasty looking wound. He hissed and sputtered, his hands gripping at the sheets beside him. The string of curses coming out of his mouth would have made a sailor go pale.

"I told you to stop it." Emma said with an impish look, peeling the backing off of a Band-Aid to cover the wound she'd just cleaned off. "You should have listened."

"That was terribly cruel, Emma."

She shrugged. "Guess you should have listened." She repeated the sequence again, cleaning the wound before bandaging it.

"I was just simply trying to forget the pain that I am in, by thinking about how I could get you off."

Emma rolled her eyes. "You're such an idiot."

"So I'm guessing that's a no?"

"What do you think?" Her brows rose upwards as she met his eyes, a grin twitching at the corners of her lips.

"A maybe?"

She laughed. "Before meeting you my idea of a werewolf was this big disgusting snarling half-man-half-wolf beast, but now my mental picture is you laying on my bed practically _begging_ me to let you get me off."

Killian snorted. "I'm a big disgusting beast on full moons."

Her brows furrowed together. "Are you at least aware of who you are when you change?"

"For the most part." He shrugged. "Why?"

"Just curious." How would she keep something like that in her apartment on a full moon in Boston? Would he wreck the place? Images of Oz, from Buffy, during the full moon flashed through her mind. Could she cage train him?

"What you saw today was the form I can willing change into." Killian explained. "The actual werewolf isn't as handsome." He grimaced as she cleaned another wound on his chest. "Luckily for you, the next full moon's the sixth of December."

Her brows scrunched together. "I guess I'll be missing that." She bit down on her bottom lip, reaching for a Band-Aid. She'd already made her choice, but she didn't feel like _now_ was the time to clue him in to it. Because if she did change her mind, she didn't' want to hurt him.

Emma reached for his hand, lacing her fingers with his. "I bet you're not _that_ bad looking at the full moon."

"You'd be utterly disgusted." Killian said with certainty. "I end up being about seven and a half feet tall. I've got a muzzle full of snaggly, sharp teeth. I drool. I'm furry and gross."

Emma pretended to gag. "Alright, that does sound disgusting. I mean you're already furry," She nodded towards the dark hair that covered his chest and trailed downwards into a line beneath the waistband of his pants. "But the drooling and the teeth are really the deal breaker here."

"If I ever do make my way up to Boston, I'll try to come well before the full moon."

"Yeah, I don't think Boston's ready for a werewolf roaming the streets." They'd find a way to make it work. It wasn't like the full moon would take them by surprise, they could plan for it. Emma squeezed his hand, before she moved to get off the bed. "Do you want some pain meds for all of that?"

Killian flopped back against the mattress. "Considering I don't get to spend the rest of the day laying around, it's probably a good idea to give me a couple."

Emma moved over to her suitcase, rummaging around in it for a few minutes, before she produced a bottle of Tylenol, she poured out four, taking two herself and giving the other two to him. She had a feeling that by the end of today she was going to have a killer headache and she might as well as pre-dose.

"Time to get up, buddy." Emma clapped her hands together, before moving across the room to grab her jacket, pulling it on.

Killian groaned as he got off the bed. "I'd probably look less ridiculous if my shirt wasn't torn up."

"Maybe Edward will let you borrow one of his shirts."

Killian snorted. "As if. Emma, do you think I'm over exaggerating how much the man _hates_ me?"

Emma put her hands on her hips. "You've over exaggerated everything else."

Killian moved towards the door. "Well this is one thing I'm not over exaggerating, in fact I've probably downplayed just how much he hates me." He pulled the door open for Emma, "I lost my car and my place and he wouldn't let me live in that massive ass house that he lets other packs crash in from time to time."

"Then he sounds like a dick that needs to get a reality check." Emma countered, digging her keys out of her leather jacket.

"You don't_ teach_ a man like Edward. You know that saying about old dogs and tricks? This is the one time a dog reference is apt."

Emma rolled her eyes. "You'll face Valkyries, but not your own pack leader?"

"That's different."

"Whatever you say Killian." Emma remarked as she waited for the elevator to come for them. "Do you not think his library will have some answers for us?"

"I have no doubt that if we search it over enough we'll find something out, but… we can just wait till there's a library open tomorrow." Killian protested, even as he followed her onto the elevator. "We should just go get some food and come back to the room."

Emma waved her hand dismissively. "We'll get food when we're done looking."

Killian sighed. "Fine. Whatever. You're too damn stubborn to listen to me." He crossed his arms across his chest, giving her a sideways look.

"Quit pouting." Emma shook her head. She headed off the elevator once it reached the ground floor, leading them both outside to her car. She had never met someone who sulked as much as he did. He had the brooding look and the clenched jaw thing down to a tee.

Killian didn't say a word the entire drive over to Lyndhurst. But he didn't have to say a word for her to figure out what he was thinking. She could _feel _him. Being confined to the car with him always seemed to heighten it. He was practically humming with anticipation and _fear_. Maybe she should have listened to his worry, but she was too determined to _help_ him. That library had to have something in. Some answer about why the Valkyries came after him and who the one handed man had been in the cemetery.

The house looked different in the low light of the afternoon, rather than the moonlight she'd seen it in last night. Though she had to admit, it didn't look any less intimidating. There was something kinda terrifying about the house and the way that it loomed above them.

"What's the worst that can happen?" Emma questioned him, reaching over to squeeze the top of his leg.

"I can think of a few things." Killian sighed, glancing down at her hand before looking at her. "Just _please_ be careful Emma."

Emma gave him a look as she got out of the car, "He'd be really stupid to attack me."

"The man is _ancient_, mad, and sort sighted." Killian reminded her, "This is a terrible idea." He lamented as they walked towards the house. "He barely tolerates me. You know how tense it was the last night. We should just go back now."

"We're doing this." Emma gave him a look. "Call me stupid but I don't let people intimidate me."

"I've noticed." Killian said blandly, hesitating before he knocked on the front door three times, the way he had the last night. The door swung open and Emma stepped inside, dragging Killian in with her.

He was clutching at her hand, fingers curled around hers so tightly she was certain she was going to have bruises on it. "You're going to be fine." Emma promised him.

"I have good reason to be apprehensive."

There was a sound upstairs, a door slamming closed, before Edward appeared at the top of the stairs. He descended them slowly, "What the bloody hell do the pair of you think you're doing here?" Edward gave Killian a look askance as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "It's bad enough you showed up here last night. Have you come for a handout or something? You've got this to warm your tent, so I'm sure you're not hear asking for a blanket."

Emma squeezed Killian's hand tightly as she stepped ahead of him slightly. "We're here to use your library."

"Sorry, it's not open to the _public_."

"He's part of your pack, I think you could permit him to use it."

Edward laughed, "She's got some bite." He fixed her with a downward look. "Perhaps I should have just said _no_, I don't want the pair of you in there."

"Killian's in trouble and your library might be able to help us." Emma insisted.

"I'm aware of his plight, but I could frankly care less. The answer is still _no_, to any and everything you ask for."

Emma's hands settled at her hips as she glared at Edward. "I'll be the first to admit that I don't know much about your kind, but I have a feeling that packs are supposed to stick together. Which means you've been failing in that department."

"I've let him stay in my pack, haven't I? Even though he's nothing but a damn mutt." Edward retorted briskly, levelling Emma with an icy look. "I think I've done my fair share."

Emma crossed her arms across her chest. "I don't think that's what I meant. A member of your pack is in trouble and it's your duty as the Alpha to _protect_ him. Whether you like him or not. He's part of your pack."

"And you're a Huldra." Edward gritted out, his jaw set hard as he glared down at her. He was taller than Killian, but she wasn't about to let his height deter her from standing up to him.

"I'm not asking you to like _either_ of us." Emma said firmly, a muscle in her jaw ticking with aggravation. "I'm asking you to let us use your library so we can figure this out."

Edward chuckled lowly, flashing her a sickeningly charming smile, before looking past her to where Killian was standing. "Is she always this bossy with you Killian? Perhaps you should grow a pair, rather than having your _bitch_ do your groveling."

Emma curled her hands into fists as they dropped to her sides. "I'm no one's _bitch_ and if you think this is groveling, you have some fucked up ideas buddy." She glanced back over her shoulder at Killian, feeling the weight of his hand at her back.

"I told you this was a bad idea, love." Killian said lowly, sliding his hand to rest at her waist as he stepped up to stand beside her.

Emma narrowed her eyes. "If you're so damn scared of him why are you still in his pack?"

"This isn't the time for this conversation." Killian warned, his hand tightening at her side.

"No, go on Killian, I want to hear your answer too." Edward smirked, an all too satisfied look plastered to his face. "Because I think I know the answer, if you're not interested in telling."

Killian growled and Emma looked between the two of them.

"See, Killian might put on a good show of bravado and cockiness, but at the root of it, is a scared little boy who's afraid to be on his own again." Edward stepped towards them, his gaze raking over them like he was sizing them up. "_Honestly_, I'm surprised the mutt's still alive. He was so damn suicidal after Milah died. If he doesn't rot in jail for those murders, I'm sure he'll find a way to off himself once you're gone, darling."

Emma narrowed her eyes. "Who said anything about me going anywhere?"

Edward flashed her a toothy grin. "I'm not a fool Ms. Swan. That little yellow bug you drive has Massachusetts plates, it's a holiday. You're only temporary." He clicked his tongue against his teeth. "And given the scent of _fear_ that bleeds from your skin, despite your pitiful attempt of acting brave, you have no intention of staying here." He looked towards Killian. "You should be glad you can't do anything more than fuck her, lad. Not that you can bind yourself to her, but a bitch like her wouldn't stay with a coward like you."

Killian lunged then. In a blink of an eye he had the larger man pinned to the ground, his knees locking his arms beneath him as his fingers curled around Edward's throat. "I don't care what you fucking say about me Edward, but you keep your muzzle shut when it comes to her. I don't want you to even _breathe_ her name you filthy son of a bitch."

In one swift blur of motion, Edward had their positions flipped. His knee was pressed into Killian's jaw, keeping him pinned to the ground beneath him. He couldn't fight the elder werewolf, without risk of injuring himself.

"You don't want me to breathe her _name_?" Edward taunted, snarling as he leaned over Killian. "_Emma_." A wicked laugh escaped his mouth.

Emma was no match for the werewolf, especially considering how he'd flipped Killian like he was nothing but a rag doll. But if there was one thing she knew that was a match for the mad wolf, it was her blood. She grabbed a statue off the table beneath a grand mirror, smashing it into the ornate piece, before she took a piece of the glass and slit her palm open. It hurt like a bitch, but it was the only thing she knew to do.

In an act that she could only ascribe to either bravery or stupidity, she moved to join the fray. Emma came up behind Edward, who was still ranting and raving at Killian, taunting him about what he had planned for _her_ once he'd incapacitated Killian. She couldn't make out the specific words, her hearing going fuzzy around the edges, much like her vision which seemed focused on her target.

She could almost hear _singing_. A cool, feminine voice, that spoke words that she didn't understand.

"Let go of him!" Emma shouted, covering Edward's mouth with her hand, her blood smearing over his lips. He went rigid beneath her, his lips clamped closed beneath her palm.

"_Emma_." Killian muttered from beneath them, Edward's knee lifting from his face enough to let him pull out from underneath the man.

Edward made a pained sound before he collapsed into a heap beneath Emma.

Killian wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her away from the elder werewolf.

"Killian?" Emma whispered, trembling in his arms. Her vision was slowly starting to come back into focus, her hearing no longer muffled with the sound of archaic words.

"It's going to be okay Emma." Killian soothed her, lips brushing along her jawline.

"Killian what happened?"

He cupped her cheek, turning her head to meet his eyes. "You just killed my Alpha."

Emma's eyes widened in horror at his words. "_What_?"

"_Shhh_." Killian whispered, trying to keep her calm. Her heart was pounding in her chest, the pit of her stomach twisting into knots. "He _deserved_ it Emma." He told her, brushing his thumb over the rise of her cheek.

"I don't know what happened." She started to turn her head to look towards where Edward was laying, but Killian turned her head back to face him. "Everything went so fuzzy."

Killian shook his head. "I don't know what happened… _but _your eyes went white."

Her brows knit together. "There was singing."

Killian took her hand in his, turning it over to look down at her palm. "Your blood."

"I don't think it's just _a lot _of my blood that will kill your kind Killian. I think it's even the smallest amount." Emma felt like she was going to be sick. Her chest was heaving. "I just killed a man." She wrenched her hand away from his hold, curling her fingers into her palm. _Oh my God_.


	8. Chapter 8

"At least we're free to look around the library now." Killian drawled out as he stepped into the library where Emma was curled up on chaise lounge.

"What did you do with him?" Emma questioned, biting down on her bottom lip as she remained laying. Killian had taken her advice and raided Edward's closet. Black leather and cotton tees seemed to be a staple among werewolves. Edward _had_ been a bit larger than Killian and the clothes Killian had found hung on him.

He crossed his arms across his chest, pressing his tongue to the inside of his cheek. "I cleaned his mouth off and laid him out in his bed. I'm hoping they'll think he went in his sleep."

Emma shook her head. "That never works on TV." She started to sit up then, looking down at the bandage she'd wrapped around the palm of her hand. "If your pack finds out that it was… _me_." She glanced up at him then, her expression pained. "Or you for that matter. What will they do to you?"

Killian's jaw set hard as he moved to sit beside her on the lounge. "I would probably be taken before a high council of northeastern packs and tried for my association with his death." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "You would be tried as well."

"And what would they do to us?"

He laid his hand on her knee and squeezed. "I think it best that we don't get into that right now. Time is of the essence and we ought to make haste and look through the library." Killian leaned closer to her and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "It's not your fault, love."

"Yes it is." Emma remarked, before she stood up. It _was_ her fault. She'd killed the man. He'd deserved it, but that didn't make it _right_.

"You weren't yourself." Killian told her, following her as she moved towards the rows of books that lined the walls.

Emma whirled around to face him then, "It doesn't matter if I _wasn't myself_ – I still killed a man." The words made her stomach flop. "You don't understand Killian." Her voice was strained, her bottom lip trembling.

Killian looked away from her then. "I do understand."

"_What_?"

"I wish I could say that the guilt becomes less with time, but…" Killian shook his head.

Emma gaped at him, her brows rising upwards. "You've _killed_?"

"_Aye_." Killian pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek as he held her gaze. "I'm sure as hell not proud of it either. I've lived in times where it was kill or be killed. Never claimed to be a sinless man." He hung his head. "I realize that's knowledge that'll change your opinion of me, love."

It didn't _change_ anything. Knowing that he had killed didn't suddenly change her opinion of him or make her want to run away.

Emma shook her head. "It doesn't. Before today it might have, but…" She let out a breath that she felt like she'd been holding since last night when she met him and learned about what went bump in the night. "I'm starting to see that there's a lot more than meets the eye. It could be worse, right? You could be a vampire."

Killian laughed, making a face. "There's the spirit." He clapped his hands together.

A faint smile spread over her lips. "Speaking of murders, let's figure out who our one handed friend was."

"You really think he's going to be in these books, love." Killian commented as he walked towards one of the cases and pulled a book out, flipping through it idly.

Emma gave him an amused look. "I mean… What are the chances that some random serial killer ends up in Tarrytown, killing people who vaguely look like me, which gets you framed for the murders, and I also run into him at a cemetery?"

"Touché." Killian chuckled, shoving the back into its spot on the shelf. "That's rather suspicious."

Emma tilted her head as she walked along the length of the bookcase, eyeing the spines of the books on the shelves. "Whatever happened to the man that taught you everything about your heritage?"

"Edward killed him." Killian sighed. "Remember that bit about him thinking I'd make a better alpha than Ed."

"That's _horrible_." Emma frowned.

Killian pulled another book from the shelf, "Aye. He was a kind man. Wise." He flipped through the pages of his book. "He knew _so_ much about all of this."

"What was his name?"

"Asmund Rife."

Emma's eyes lit on a book with a name etched into the spine in gold leaf. "Asmund, like A-s-m-u-n-d?" She questioned, turning to look at Killian as she pulled the book from the shelf.

"Aye. Why?"

She held the book up for him to read the name. "Seems your friend has a book."

Killian put the book he'd been looking at back on the shelf, stepping towards Emma to take the ancient looking book from her hands. "That's a rather unique name." He said as he smoothed his fingers along the spine before opening it slowly.

"Is that written in runes?" Emma questioned, peering at the page.

"Aye." He tapped the page. "It's his handwriting too." Killian gave an incredulous laugh, turning to look at Emma. "Don't worry, I can read runes. He taught me, actually."

Emma's brows furrowed together. "That's pretty impressive." She'd barely made it through learning Spanish, which at least had normal looking letters to it. "So what does it say?"

Killian snorted. "I can read runes, but I can't read an entire book just by looking at the first page. Give me a few." He retorted with a sideways look, before he turned his attention to the page. "It's a journal," He explained, pointing to the first line. "Of Asmund the Divine Protector." Killian clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Crazy old man."

"You read. I'm going to keep looking." Emma brushed her fingers over his arm, studying his expression for a moment before she turned back to the bookcase.

"Alright, love." Killian said, his gaze fixed on the page that he was reading.

The library had a wide variety of books on its shelves. From ancient copies of classics, which Emma had to assume were probably first editions in some cases, to volumes of history books in foreign languages from all across the world. Edward hadn't struck her as a well-read man and considering the journal that had belonged to Asmund, she had to assume that the collection was a combination of libraries that he gathered into Lyndhurst for show.

"_Huldra_." Emma glanced back at Killian, meeting his eyes for a brief moment before he continued meeting. "Asmund's talking about Huldra and her unrequited love for Fenrir."

"Anything I need to know?"

Killian shook his head. "Nothing that I didn't already know. She spared Fenrir because she fancied him. He shirked her so she fucked Freyr and had twelve kids. So on and so forth."

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Emma pulled a larger book from the shelves, the spine of the book was fantastically designed and the cover read that it was an illustrated volume of Norse mythology. She moved towards a table at the center of the room, motioning for Killian to join her there.

"There's a hell of a lot of irony in the fact that you and I are mates, you know." Killian said as he sat down beside her, resting his elbows on the table as he flipped to the next page of the journal. "Huldra's whole fit of vengeance was because Fenrir wouldn't fuck her."

Emma laughed, "You put it _so_ bluntly." She gave him a sideways look. "I bet she's rolling in her grave over what you and I did earlier this afternoon."

Killian flashed her a cocky grin. "I can see it now, written into some sacred Norse text – _the last heiress of Huldra blood, finally got fucked by one of Fenrir's kin._ It's the stuff of legends."

She bit her lip to keep from grinning as she tried to stay focused on the book she was skimming through. The pages were covered in extremely detailed sketches and illustrations of various Norse deities. She recognized some; Thor with the hammer, Loki and a serpent. "Damn she's ugly." Emma commented as she opened to a page with a woman who was normal looking on one half of her body, while the other side was made of bone and twisted looking flesh. Behind her appeared to be a catacomb filled with skulls, the floor darkened with what looked like blood.

"That's Hel. She was one of Loki's kids. Ruler of the underworld." Killian explained to her, before dropping his voice to a whisper, giving her a look. "She's the mother of the vampires."

"Holy shit." Emma's brows shot upwards. "Please tell me vampires don't look like _that_."

Killian shrugged. "I mean… some look fairly normal. Others are bloody disturbing." He tapped his fingers against the table as he kicked back in his chair. "They definitely don't sparkle though nor do they look like sculptures of Greek gods."

Emma shook her head. "I still can't believe all of this is real." She turned to the next page, her jaw going slack as she took in the illustration. "That's him." The man from the cemetery.

The image depicted a massive wolf – Fenrir – with blood dripping from his mouth. The man standing before him was missing his hand, which appeared to be lodged in Fenrir's mouth between his teeth.

"Tyr." Emma said as she read the description beneath the illustration. "Fenrir bit off right hand while he was trying to bind him."

Killian leaned closer, looking down at the picture. "Right… that's just_ bloody_ brilliant there. There's a god out there killing women who look like _you_ and letting me take the blame for it. Of course it just so happens that he's probably got a bloody hate hard on for the kin of Fenrir."

Emma gave him look. "Does everyone hate Fenrir's kin?"

Killian pursed his lips. "Pretty much, yeah. Though, everyone pretty much hates anyone related to Loki." He clicked his tongue against his teeth. "You can thank Odin for that."

"I guess you're lucky, because _I_ don't hate you. I probably should. My blood _definitely_ wants me to. But I don't." Emma glanced down at her bandaged palm. "I could hear _her_ singing in my head when I cut my hand." She chewed on her bottom lip. "I've gotten cuts before and I have _never_ had anything like that happen before. Everything went blurry around the edges and I felt like… I felt like I was completely out of control."

Killian reached over and took her hand. "Haven't had any urges to kill me have you?"

Emma narrowed her eyes, "Now that you mention it…" She laughed, a smile quirking at the corners of her lips. "No. I didn't even feel like hurting you when I was out of it there. I was just focused on killing _him_." She swallowed thickly, feeling bile rise up in the back of her throat. The image of Edward laying there was never going to leave her memory.

"Maybe it's because you're my mate." Killian offered, turning his attention back to the journal. "Maybe that overrides Huldra's pull in your blood."

Emma sighed. "Let's not test that though. The last thing I want is for anything to happen to you." She glanced down at the illustration again. "The only thing about Tyr that's throwing me for a loop is the fact that he knew what sort of woman to kill. It seems too coincidental that blondes were getting murdered before I even showed up in town." Her brows knit together. "Did he _know_ that I would eventually be here?"

"It's possible. He's a god after all. They're pretty know-all." Killian remarked, leaning forward against the table. "If you hadn't been here this time around, I've got a feeling that I'd be sitting in jail right now. That was some fast thinking this morning."

Emma grinned. "I thought it was pretty good myself." She flipped through the pages of lesser deities, before finding a page with a drawing of Huldra. The goddess kinda looked like her. Light hair, similar shaped face, but different all the same. It wasn't as though it was a picture of the woman, just an idealized sketch done centuries after her existence.

"Asmund's got some pretty insane rants in here." Killian stated, before he cleared his throat. "And among the sons of Odin is one known as Sigi. He fled unto Midgard after the murder of his slave and ruled as king in Hunaland, until his wife's kin killed him for the throne. His son avenged his death. It was Rerir whose wife was pregnant for six years and birthed a child who was full grown. An apple blessed by Frigg had given the couple what they desired most, a child, but at the cost of Rerir's wife's life. Thus began a line who knew only strife. The kin of Rerir are cursed among men to know only war in life. Whatsoever they desire must come with great cost, because of the blessed apple delivered unto Rerir's wife. And soon it will come to pass that a child will be born with the name Cellach, which means great strife."

"_And_?" Emma questioned when Killian stopped reading from the book to her.

Killian held the book out for her to take it from him. "Read what he's written beside that passage."

"I don't read runes." Emma reminded him, taking the book from him nonetheless.

"It's not in runes."

Emma skimmed down the page until she came to the place where the man had written in the margins. "He's come. His name's Killian." _Oh_. Her head snapped up to look at him, her eyes widening as she met his blue gaze. "Killian as in you Killian?"

"I don't know." Killian admitted, his brows knit together in confusion. "There was never any other Killians in the pack. The gods only know what a miserable existence I've led. It wouldn't even surprise me in the least if my life was _cursed _because of some bloody apple centuries ago." He pinched the bridge of his nose, laughing bitterly. "It would make a hell of a lot of sense." He scoffed.

"What else does he say?" Emma questioned, turning to the next page of the book. It was blank and so was the next page. "Are you kidding me? That's where the book stops?"

Killian nodded. "Aye. The old man stopped there. The last sentence is just begins with _he_ and goes nowhere else. He didn't write another bloody thing in that book."

Emma closed the book and sat it on the table. "Why did Frigg curse the apple? Wasn't Frigg Odin's wife?" She had just seen something in the illustrations about that. "Why would she curse Odin's grandson?"

"Because all magic comes at a price." Killian retorted with a sour expression. "Vampires are cursed to live at night, a sacrifice to live forever. Werewolves are slaves to the moon, as sacrifice for our abilities and longevity. Every blessing comes with a curse. Mainly because the gods are sick bastards who face no real consequences for the games they play with those they don't like."

Emma held up her hand. "So what's my blessing or my curse? I don't know what to call the blood trick."

Killian met her eyes. "I'd like to assume that your curse is that you and I can't be together fully, but… I think that's more my life full of strife bullshit." He set his jaw hard. "The blessing is most likely your ability to kill wolves, as that was what Huldra desired. The cost of that ability is your curse… whatever you believe it to be."

"I always thought I'd been cursed." Emma said with an empty laugh. "I used to joke that I was left on the side of the road because I was born with a curse and my parents didn't want to have to deal with me." She shook her head. "My curse is probably _that_. I'm meant to be alone." She gestured between them. "But I'm of the mind that we can say fuck it to these curses of ours – within reason. It's not like there's something that says we have to go all the way with the mate thing is there?"

"No, love." Killian shook his head, his brows furrowing together, his eyes searching her face.

Emma felt her cheeks burn red under his gaze. "We just have to be _careful_." She said quietly, looking down at her hand. "I don't think either of us want to be alone anymore and I don't think we _deserve_ it either. I think after all of this we deserve a modicum of happiness in our lives. Even if it doesn't last forever."

"What are you suggesting?"

Emma reached out for his hand with her good hand. "I want you to come to Boston with me when I leave."

"You mean to visit you?"

She smiled a little. "As long as you want to stay."

Killian matched her smile with a small one of his own. "You're not just saying this because of the life full of strife monologue I just did, are you?"

Emma laughed, shaking her head. "_No._ I was thinking about it since we were at the hotel. I don't want to go back without you. I don't know how long it'll last and I don't know if it'll actually work for us, but… It's worth a shot."

He squeezed her hand tightly. "Does your apartment do pets?"

Emma grinned at him. "Oh, now you're doing dog jokes?"

Killian released her hand and moved to wrap his arms around her. "See, it's alright if _I_ make the dog jokes." He remarked, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

Emma ran her hands down his chest gingerly, mindful of the injuries that were beneath her fingertips. "I see how it is." She said teasingly, unable to shake the grin from her lips. It felt _good_ to be with him. Despite what had happened and the fear that still lingered, being with him was comforting. It would only be a matter of time before the realization of what happened hit, but it hadn't happened yet.

She pulled back a little, biting down on her bottom lip as she looked up at him. "How are you feeling?"

Killian made a face, covering her hands with his. "Like I got ran over by a Mack truck." He sighed. "I'll be sore for a while, I'm sure."

Emma reached up and brushed her fingers over his jaw, already darkening with a bruise from where Edward had had his knee on his face. If she hadn't done what she had, it could have been so much worse. "I know it's a little late to say this, but… you were _right_. Coming over here was a terrible idea."

"But would we have found out that I'm _apparently_ related to Odin?" Killian tapped her nose. "See? It has its upside."

"Is that going to feed your ego?" Emma questioned, trying to keep her spirits high.

"My _ego_?" Killian scoffed. "You wound me love. I assure you, I've got a significantly smaller ego now that I've got you around."

She gave him a look, before rolling her eyes. "I'm sure the next thing out of your mouth will be how you want me to _tend_ to your ego or something. Right?" She moved past his then, heading towards the bookcase before she said anything else stupid. _Tend to your ego_? That was just asking for trouble.

"Oh, _Emma_."

"Don't." Emma warned. Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment and she _knew _he had that smug ass grin on his face.

"I don't have to even do anything, lass. You did it all on your own."

Emma grabbed the first book off the bookshelf that she came to, keeping her gaze fixed on it as she turned back to the table, stepping past him.

Killian snatched the book from her hands, flipping it over so he could read the spine. "What a _riveting_ sounding collection of Emily Barrett Browning poems. I'm _certain_ she wrote a fine collection of works on Norse mythos."

Emma lifted her head, meeting his gaze with an embarrassed smile. "I-… I'm a big fan of her work." She lied. "You should probably check the bookcases for anything else from Asmund." She said, trying to steer the conversation away from her innuendo. Because given the sensation radiating off of Killian, that was exactly what was taking up the bulk of his attention. "Who knows – maybe he wrote some journal all about me too." She said dryly.

"_Or_," Killian clicked his tongue against his teeth, taking a step closer to her, a heated look in his eyes. "Perhaps we can do something far more enjoyable than browsing through musty volumes of frivolous texts."

Emma looked away. "I'm not in the mood." Which wasn't the truth. She was very much _in _the mood, but there was something about having sex in the house of the man she'd just killed barely an hour ago, that left a sour taste in her mouth.

"Fair enough." Killian said, reaching out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, brushing the hair behind her shoulder. "I understand."

"Do you?" Emma questioned, the words coming out breathier than she'd intended them to. She searched his face, wondering if he was really _that_ perceptive.

"Aye." He smiled kindly at her, giving a slight nod before he stepped around her to where the large book of illustrations was laid out on the table. "She looks like you."

Emma crossed her arms across her chest as she moved to stand beside him. "I thought the same thing." She tilted her head, studying the page. "Which is _really_ weird. It's not like this book's illustrator _knew_ what she looked like."

Killian turned the page, "Ah, dear ole great-great-great-_really-great_-granddad," He snorted. "Bet he'd get a kick out of knowing one of his kin shares blood with Fenrir."

Emma scrunched up her nose. "I bet he's as thrilled as Huldra is with you and me." She rocked on her heels, giving him a sidelong look. "I wish we knew the significance of you being related to Odin."

Killian shrugged, "Asmund wasn't kind enough to divulge those details to me or the book." He snorted, rolling his eyes. "Though, it does explain why he was so invested in my upbringing. Because in his mind I was some decedent of the gods."

Emma gave him a once over. "I'm not seeing the god thing." She said, trying in earnest to keep a straight face. "I mean, I've seen the illustrations and they're always _so_ much taller… and buffer." The corners of her lips twitched upwards.

He narrowed his eyes. "You're ever so cruel Emma."

"Weren't you the one who said something about enjoying a challenge? Or was that the other werewolf I've been hanging out with?"

Killian pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek, his expression chagrined. "I _did_ say that."

"That's what I thought." Emma smirked, pleased with the flustered look on his face.

"We should probably get the books we think will be most helpful and head out."

Emma's expression faltered, "That's a bad idea." She gestured towards Asmund's book. "Take that one with you, but we shouldn't take any others. Someone's bound to find him and with our luck they'll get the police involved." She met his eyes. "Your pack knows that the two of you were at odds with each other, don't they?"

Killian frowned, "In other words, you're afraid I'll end up being a person of interest again."

"Only this time, you _are_ involved with the murder."

"It was _defense_."

Emma looked away, grabbing the large book of illustration off the table, returning it to its place on the bookshelf. "We should drop by Granny's on the way back to the hotel. That way we have an alibis for where we went after we left the hotel."

Killian came up behind her, resting his hands on her hips as he leaned in speak close to her ear. "Are you going to put on that same little act you did for the good officer this morning?"

Emma laughed softly, leaning back against him. "Oh, did you enjoy that?" She questioned, thankful that he was trying to keep the atmosphere light.

"I mean, I much prefer _this_ version of you." Killian chuckled, pressing his lips to the side of her head. "But that _kiss_."

Emma rolled her eyes. "We'll see about it. I can't do _too_ much of that act around the staff at the diner because they talked to me last night. They know that I'm not a spacey blonde." She tilted her head to look back at him. "Though I'd give anything right now to not be _me_."

Killian released his hold of her hips, stepping around her in a blink of an eye, coming in between her and the bookcase. "Stop feeling guilty Emma." He said firmly, pushing her hair behind her shoulders, cupping her cheeks. "He attacked me. He threatened you."

Emma's brows furrowed together as she looked up at him. "But I _killed_ him." Her voice cracked on the word. She pressed her hands against his chest, fingers curling in the material of his shirt. "I couldn't even control it. It just _happened_. I thought he was going to kill you." She shook her head. "It felt like a dream. Like someone else was in control of my body. I was just a vessel for _her_ to use."

Killian stroked her cheek, his expression soft and adoring. "Perhaps you should _embrace_ who you are. Don't let it control you – control _it_."

"Inspiring words." Emma said with a half-hearted smile.

He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip, tilting his head as he held her gaze. "Those were words that Asmund said to me once. Obviously he was talking to me about my furry little problem, but I do believe it applies to you as well." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I wish I could take the guilt from you."

"It's my cross to bear Killian. I don't expect you to have to deal with this for me." Emma insisted, brushing her fingers along his jawline.

Killian shook his head. "You're my mate. We deal with these things _together_." He kissed her gently then. "Now let's get the hell out of here. I'm _starving_." He said dramatically, pulling away from her.

"Sounds like a plan." Emma said with a small smile. She was used to dealing with everything alone. The idea of having someone to _share_ her fears and insecurities with was so surreal. But nice all the same. Even Mary Margaret, who she considered the closest thing she'd ever had to a best friend, didn't know parts of her life that she had so easily divulged unto Killian.

She had come to New York feeling _so_ alone. And after years of feeling that way, she'd convinced herself that _alone_ was best for her. She hadn't even realized she'd been missing a part of herself until Killian came into her life.

Emma watched Killian as he picked up Asmund's book and tucked it away in his back pocket. She checked to make sure they hadn't left anything else laying around, out of place, before she headed towards the entrance of the grand house.

"And you're sure everything looks like it happened _naturally_ upstairs?" Emma questioned, giving Killian a hopeful look.

"As natural as one could hope for. Though there's a chance they'll be able to smell us on him." Killian said, his shoulders sagging. "They might be able to smell you better than I can."

She grabbed Killian's torn up clothes as they headed for the door. "Let's pray to the _gods_ that they don't notice it."

"We could always say that we stopped by here and thought he wasn't home." Killian offered, holding the door open for her. "That would explain why we here, on the off chance that anyone's seen us."

"I like the way you think." Emma said, nudging him in the ribs. "We came over here to see if he'd let us use the library. He didn't appear to be home, so we looked around in the library, and then left to get ourselves food." She nodded her head as she pulled her keys out of her pocket.

"Food is _very_ important." Killian grinned at her. "Food's right up there with sex."

Emma laughed loudly at that, "Spoken like a true man." She unlocked her car door, slipping inside and leaning over to open the passenger door for Killian. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but… I can't cook or bake. I have caught so many things on fire trying to cook."

"Well that's just a deal breaker isn't it?" Killian teased, clicking his tongue against his teeth. "Luckily for you though, good food is _beneath_ good sex."

"I don't know Killian, the sex in the cemetery could have just been a fluke." Emma gave him a sidelong look as she started up the car. It could have been, because it _was_ extremely good, desperate, needy sex. She didn't really have many examples of sex the second time around. She could count on one hand the number of times she'd stuck around that long.

Killian turned to look at her as she started the car up, "That was _not_ a fluke. But, you know… we could always give it another go. For very important _scientific_ reasons. To see whether or not it was a fluke."

Emma bit her lip to keep from grinning, keeping her eyes locked on the road as she made her way off the property. "We'll just have to see how the rest of today pans out." She had a feeling, though, that _that_ was exactly how the evening was going to end.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/n:** I don't think I've ever done a double chapter post before, but these muses refused to let me wait a few days to write and post chapter 9. I would consider these chapters to be the "calm before the storm", but I rarely know what follows each chapter, so don't quote me on it when I eventually get around to writing chapter 10.

Emma slid into the booth beside Killian, pushing her hair behind her shoulders as she settled into the seat. She grabbed up her menu, scanning the page. "They have a Thanksgiving dinner with _all_ the fixings." Her stomach growled as if by cue.

Killian gave her a sideways look. "I think I'll stick with a hamburger."

"What? Not a fan of turkey and gravy?" Emma questioned, playing with the edge of the menu as she turned to look at him. "You probably haven't really celebrated Thanksgiving, have you?" She hadn't either. She almost _always_ ate out or had takeout or something.

He shook his head, moving to curl his arm around her shoulders. "I'm a fan of all things meat, but you can't order turkey that's almost raw and get away with it." He said with a wolfish grin. "Though you _are_ right. Originating from across the pond, means I don't really observe your American holidays."

"You're missing out." Emma remarked, settling into his side. She glanced towards the counter, catching the brunette waitress eyeing them. She played along, acting unfazed by the woman's staring. She motioned that they were ready to order.

Ruby sauntered over, pulling out the pencil that she had tucked behind her ear. "What can I get you two?" She said, her voice tense as she spoke.

"I'll have the Thanksgiving dinner meal with Sam Adams if you have it."

"Sure thing." Ruby retorted, her eyes narrowing as she turned her attention to Killian. "And what will you have?"

"I'll have a beer too and that one pound burger." Killian ordered, a small smirk on his lips. "Barely medium rare, please. I like it nice and pink." He added, handing the menu to the waitress.

Ruby all but sneered. "That's _disgusting_ and really unhealthy."

Emma felt Killian tense beside her.

"Good thing you're not eating it then."

She squeezed his leg under the table.

"I can't believe you took _him_ to your hotel last night." Ruby gave Emma a disgusted look.

Emma rolled her eyes. "To each his own." She looked towards Killian then with a small smile. "He's a diamond in the rough."

"More like _probably-a-serial-killer_." Ruby scoffed, taking a step backwards. "I'll put your order in and get those drinks for the two of you."

"She just won't let that go, will she?" Emma commented, drumming her fingers against the top of his leg. "Has she never heard of innocent until proven guilty? I mean, obviously the cop didn't arrest you this morning."

Killian chuckled bitterly. "What can I say? It's just an additional bit of strife in my life."

"You won't have to worry about that up in Boston." Emma told him, a small smile on her lips. "It'll be a new start for you." She squeezed his leg again. "I think you and David will get along. Mary Margaret's always complaining that he doesn't have enough guy friends."

"And what does this David fellow do?" Killian questioned, his fingers playing over the curve of her shoulder.

"He manages an animal shelter." Emma grinned, "Free vet care for you."

Killian groaned, rubbing at his face with his freehand. "You're not going to get me fixed are you?"

Emma hummed, "I haven't decided yet."

He leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to her lips, just as Ruby returned with their drinks.

"Now I know Officer Boyd came back in here this morning and told us that Mr. Jones had a solid alibis, but you should _really_ be careful." Ruby warned her. "Just because you were with him last night, doesn't mean he's not working _with_ someone. There's a whole bunch of them in this town that I wouldn't trust any further than I can throw them and he's been seen around all of them."

Emma's brows furrowed together as she looked up at the woman. "You do realize he's not deaf right? He's a paying customer and a resident of this town and you guys treat him like _shit_."

Killian stiffened beside her again, fingers tightening at her shoulder. "Love, it's fine."

"No, it's not." Emma insisted. "It's shitty behavior and _extremely_ unprofessional."

Ruby's hands went to her hips. "You just met him last night. How can you defend someone you just met, when I heard him talking about having crazy dreams about some blonde woman and then they started turning up _dead_?" She glared down at her. "That should give you the _creeps_."

Emma's shoulders sagged. "And yet it doesn't. In my line of work it's pretty easy to figure out which ones are the psychos and scumbags."

"It's your funeral." Ruby sighed, looking towards the door as two cops stepped inside the diner. "Officer Boyd. Billie!" Emma watched as the waitress walked across the diner to hug the one cop.

"Her boyfriend's a _cop_?" Emma questioned, turning to look at Killian again.

Killian pursed his lips, before he lifted his beer and took a swig. "I didn't know that. Would explain why she hates me as much as the cops do."

Emma sighed heavily. "I really hope they're just here for dinner." Her heartbeat quickened, catching them looking their way out of the corner of her eyes. "Shit."

"Calm down love," Killian said quietly, running his hand along her arm in an attempt to soothe her. "They're talking about having to work on Thanksgiving. He's asking Ruby when she gets off."

"Man your hearing's good." Emma chewed on her bottom lip, before she reached for her beer and took a hearty drink of it.

Killian smiled at her, "I can also hear how fast your heart's beating. You don't have to worry. The wolves aren't going to get the Tarrytown cops involved."

"That's easier said than done, unfortunately." Emma rested her head against his shoulder, glancing towards where the two cops stood with Ruby. They were looking at them again. "What are they talking about now?"

"The Boyd fellow's talking about our little show this morning." Killian chuckled. "_Joyful_. They've still got me listed as their _top_ suspect in all of this." He sighed heavily. "Ruby thinks you're not long for this world."

"How nice." Emma rolled her eyes. "What will they gossip about when both of us leave Sunday?"

Killian snorted. "Search me. I'm sure if I've left, Tyr will quit trying to set me up for murder." He shook his head. "I frankly don't see how I'm important enough to have some god trying to screw me over."

Emma nudged him in the ribs. "Don't forget you also had Odin's cronies after you too." She looked up at him, her brows knitting together. "The bruise on your jaw's gone already."

Killian rubbed at the place on his face where Edward had had his knee pressed. "It's still a bit tender. But that healed faster than I was expecting it to."

"How do the rest of your injuries feel?" Emma questioned, pulling back a little to look at him better.

"Still incredibly sore." Killian grimaced, "I'm sure my face just healed a bit faster because it was only a bruise." He reached for his beer again, glancing towards the cops as they took a seat across the diner from them. "They've turned their conversation to some cat video they were watching earlier."

Emma laughed. "Tax money at work." She shook her head. "I thought you said only mated wolves heal fast like that?"

"I _did_." Killian gave her a sideways look as he took a drink of his beer. "I don't know why my face healed so fast."

Emma reached for her own beer, taking a long pull from the bottle. "_Weird_." She shook her head, her eyes raking over his face, taking in his features. "Maybe it works just being around your mate?"

"Frankly I've never heard of anything like that before. If that were true then you'd think the cuts would be healing themselves as well." He rubbed at his ribs where she knew there was one particularly bad laceration. "And they're still hurting like a son of a bitch."

Emma scrunched up her nose. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault lass." Killian rubbed his hand over the top of her leg, before squeezing her knee. "Our food should be coming." He said as he looked past her towards the kitchen. "I can smell my nice almost rare burger."

She stuck out her tongue. "That's one thing I've got to agree with Ruby on. That's gross."

Killian flashed her a broad grin. "I've got to get my energy up for later." He drawled out lowly, running his tongue along the edge of his teeth.

Emma's brows rose upwards as she met his gaze. "And why do you have to get your energy up?" She questioned guilelessly, batting her lashes.

"Because I plan to spend the rest of the evening helping you forget abut the events of today." Killian told her, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

Emma pressed her lips together thoughtfully. "That _does_ sound like fun."

"I thought so." Killian chuckled, his fingers brushing along her inner thigh, before he rested his arms on the table as Ruby arrived with their plates of food.

"Here you two go." She said with strained politeness as she sat the plates down in front of them. "Can I get you anything else?"

Emma inhaled the scent of the delicious food sitting before them. "Nope. It looks _great_." She smiled, "Thanks."

Killian lifted the bun of his burger, "Exactly how I like it. Thank the chef for me."

"Will do." Ruby quipped before she headed to another table.

Emma reached over and stole a fry from Killian's plate, grinning impishly when he protested. "Oi! That's _mine_."

"Sorry buddy, I already ate it." She remarked as she picked up her fork and scooped up a bite of mashed potatoes.

Killian growled playfully. "They're _my_ fries."

"Don't make me eat more of them." Emma teased, licking her lips.

"You're lucky. None of that appeals to me." He grumbled, before picking up his burger and taking a large bite from it. Killian groaned, leaning back against the booth. "This is incredible." He said with his mouth full.

She swatted his leg under the table. "_Manners_." Emma cut into her turkey, forking up a piece of it with a nice helping of stuffing and mashed potatoes with it.

"Can't teach an old dog new tricks." Killian retorted, before stuffing his mouth with another large bite of his hamburger, followed by a few fries.

"Are you going to eat me out of house and home?"

Killian snorted, giving her a sideways look. "You want me to _eat you out_?"

Emma covered her face in embarrassment. "That's _not_ what I said."

"You've gone red." Killian grinned at her, far too pleased with himself.

"Shut up." Emma mumbled, staring down at her plate, her cheeks burning hot.

"Is that a _no_ then?"

She spoke _far_ too quickly. "No!"

Killian chuckled, "That's what I thought."

"Eat your burger and _stop_." He was the absolute _worst_ and she loved it.

"Fine. Fine." Killian nudged her in the ribs before he plucked up a few fries and ate them. "How's your food?"

Emma gave him a look. "Delicious." Except for the fact that she was thinking of _him_ instead of the meal she was eating. It wasn't fair, how easily he could get her going. Given how both of their lives seemed to go, she wanted to hold onto this for as long as she could. Because, while she felt positive about this, she knew not to build all of her hopes and dreams on him. She was too old to ever do that again. With the way she felt about him already, it would be far too devastating.

"I'm assuming that on Thanksgiving, you're meant to talk about what you're thankful for. So… What are you _thankful_ for?" Killian questioned.

Emma wiped her lips off, reaching for her beer. "I'm thankful that I have my apartment back in Boston, my job, my friends." She swallowed thickly, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes. "I guess I'm also thankful that I met _you_. You're not so bad and you're definitely easy on the eyes."

Killian feigned offense. "I see how it is."

Emma widened her eyes dramatically. "I just said I'm thankful for meeting _you_."

"Mhm." Killian shook his head, barely stifling a laugh.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a serious problem with selective hearing? Or is that a recent development?" Emma said dryly, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I have been told that once or twice." Killian said thoughtfully. "Personally I don't see it."

Emma rolled her eyes, "You're ridiculous."

"But good fun, eh?"

She stared at him, before turning her attention back to her food. "Something like that."

Killian took another bite of his burger, licking at his lips as he sat the small portion of what was left back down on his plate. "They're talking about me again."

Her brows knit together. "What are they saying?"

Killian held up his hand, motioning for her to keep quiet as he listened to their conversation. "A trucker said he saw a man walking down the road early this morning. They're disappointed that the description didn't match mine."

"What did he look like?"

"One hand." He gave Emma a look. "The trucker thought his hair looked like dreads only messier."

Emma pursed her lips. "That sounds like the guy at the cemetery. Our _friend_ Tyr." She sighed heavily, leaning back against the booth, staring at her nearly empty plate. "I don't know why he didn't kill _me_ when he had the chance. Unless killing me isn't what he wants." The fact that he _was _killing off women who looked like her was unnerving, but it didn't make sense. It felt like a vendetta to her. "Do you think this has something to do with you being related to Odin? I mean, why else would Tyr be out to get you _and_ have those Valkyries come after you?"

Killian set his jaw hard, his tongue pressed to the inside of his cheek. "I guess Odin is _thrilled _to have a werewolf as a great grand kid." He said harshly, his eyes snapping towards the cops. "Can we leave now?"

"Why?" Emma questioned, reaching for her wallet out of her jacket pocket, grabbing enough cash for both of their orders.

"They're talking about paying the trucker to change his story." Killian said lowly, his expression stoic, but she could see the hurt in his eyes.

She reached for his hand as she moved to get out of the booth. "Locking you up isn't going to stop the murders though. Are they stupid?"

"_Apparently_." Killian clenched his jaw, dropping his gaze to the floor. He had gone from playful and teasing to completely sullen. She could feel the ire rolling off of him, settling into her bones. "Fuck them." He hissed out.

Emma squeezed his hand tightly as they moved towards the door. "Thanks for dinner." She said with forced cheerfulness, waving at Ruby briefly before practically wrenching the door open in her haste to get out of the restaurant and away from them.

"I'm _innocent_. They can't fucking do this. It's not _fair_." He pulled his hand free of her hold, his hands curled into fists at his side.

Emma crossed her arms across her chest. "You're right. It's fucked up and also _illegal_." She followed him towards the curb where she was parked. "If they pull this shit I know lawyers back in Boston that I can get to represent you." She unlocked her car door, slipping inside and leaning over to open the passenger door for him. "Any _good_ lawyer could rip holes in a flimsy witness statement."

Killian pinched the bridge of his nose. "_Drive_. Before I do something stupid." He gritted out.

"Aye aye Captain." Emma said lightly, trying and failing to say it with his accent. She started her car up, pulling out of the spot she was parked in, headed towards the hotel. "I'm sorry Killian. I don't know _why_ they're doing this to you. It's shitty small town politics if you ask me."

"That's _exactly_ what it is." Killian snapped. "I'm sorry love."

Emma shook her head, sliding her hands along the steering wheel. "It's _fine _Killian. You're allowed to be angry. You're even allowed to shout if you want to."

"That's not fair to you, darling. You've done nothing wrong." Killian exhaled heavily, pushing his fingers through his messy dark hair. "You're the only bloody thing that's been _right _in… a hell of a long time."

Emma smiled at his words. "Yeah?"

"Quite." Killian said warmly. She could feel the anger starting to subside in him.

"Remember what you said about not having to go through any of these rough patches alone anymore?" Emma glanced at him, keeping one eye on the road. "We're going to deal with this _together_. Alright?"

Killian nodded, a wry grin on his lips. "So if they come and try to arrest me, you're going to insist that you go with me?"

Emma laughed. "Not quite_ that_ together. That wouldn't do either of us any good." She flicked her turn signal on, waiting for a few cars to pass before she pulled up the hill to the hotel. "Maybe they'll realize what a pathetic idea that was and no go through with it."

Killian sighed heavily. "Let's hope."

"I can't imagine anyone being that dumb, honestly." Though, with small towns, they typically didn't have the best and the brightest in any position. She put the car into park, pulling her key out of the ignition, before stepping out of the car. "I don't know about you, but after today, I'm ready for a break."

"I concur." Killian drawled out, clicking his tongue against his teeth. "Feels like it's been about a weak since we woke up this morning."

Emma screwed up her face, "It does feel like about that long." She agreed, pulling the key card out of her pocket as they headed into the hotel to the elevator. "Today has been _insane_."

"And you're holding up like a champ." Killian said, wrapping his arm around her waist. "For someone who's found out about as much as you have since last night… You've done quite well."

"I honestly don't know how much more I can handle finding out about." Emma arched a brow at him. "Let's keep it on a need-to-know basis from here on out." She said dryly as they stepped onto the elevator.

Killian squeezed her waist, grinning at her. "So you don't want me to go into details about how the headless horsemen exists?"

She shook her head with a laugh, "Let's not today." They had just met _last night_. It felt like so much longer. Just this morning she was trying to get the hell out of dodge and now she couldn't imagine leaving him here. The elevator dinged as it reached their floor, the doors whooshing open, jarring her out of her thoughts. They stepped out, heading down the hallway to their room. "How do you feel about taking a shower?"

"Are you suggesting that I smell and should take a shower?"

Emma gave him a look, pushing the door open, "Did I say anything about you taking it _alone_?" She questioned, her tongue darting out over her lips as she met his too-blue gaze.

Killian's eyes lit up. "No. You definitely didn't say anything about me taking it alone." His gaze dropped to her lips, kicking the door shut behind him.

"I mean, unless you _want_ to take a shower alone." Emma said as unaffectedly as she could. "Because, by all means, I wouldn't want to –" She didn't even get a chance to finish speaking before Killian had her pressed against him, his mouth slanting over hers.

Desire spiked through her at the way he kissed her. His hands slid down her back, cupping her ass and drawing her in even closer. Emma moaned against his mouth, her tongue darting out to sweep over his lips, seeking entrance that he readily gave.

They stumbled as he urged them backwards towards the bathroom. Her fingers tugged at the hem of his shirt, being careful with his bandages as she raked her fingers over his skin as she pushed his shirt up his chest.

Emma pulled back from the kiss long enough to divest him of his shirt, before her mouth was on his again, hungry and desperate for him. Killian's fingers tangled in her hair, cradling the back of her head as he deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth.

Killian's free hand moved from her hip to reach for the door knob behind her, pushing the bathroom door open. He groaned against her mouth as her hand slid down between them to palm him through his trousers. She ran her fingers along the outline of his bulge, teasing him.

She took a few steps backwards, until the counter pressed into her the small of her back. She dragged her lips from his, pressing a line of kisses along his jawline, her teeth scraping gently against his scruffy skin.

He worked at the button of her jeans, before abandoning the effort to push her leather jacket off of her, letting it fall to the counter behind her. He returned to the front of her pants, slowly unzipping her jeans, his fingers slipping inside, stroking her through her underwear, teasing her the way she'd teased him.

Emma let out a breathy moan of his name, fingers winding through his hair, tugging at the strands as they slid between her fingers. His mouth was hot against skin as he leaned down to kiss her neck, sucking at her pulse point.

She scraped her fingernails over his scalp. Killian hissed against her neck, pulling back to look at her, his eyes darkened with desire, his lips parted, breathing raggedly. "_Emma_."

Emma bit down on her bottom lip, already tender and puffy from his kisses. She pushed him back, stepping away from the counter so she could push her jeans down her hips, kicking her shoes off so she could get her pants off the rest of the way.

Killian followed her lead, toeing his shoes off and shoving his pants off. Emma crossed her arms across her body as she pulled her shirt off, tossing it aside carelessly. All she was focused on was _him_.

"Bloody hell you're gorgeous." Killian said lowly, resting his hands on her hips, before he trailed his rough palms along her smooth skin, reaching around her back to unclasp her bra, letting the material fall away from her skin. "Utterly _beautiful_." He whispered, leaning down to kiss along her collarbone, before he cupped her breasts, brushing his thumb over her nipples.

Emma inhaled sharply, heat blossoming low in her stomach. She could feel Killian smirk against her skin. He pulled one hand away from her breasts, slipping the other between her thighs. "You're _soaking_ wet, darling."

She barely stopped herself from whimpering. All of the tension and distress of the day fell away and all she could think of was _him_ and how she wanted him.

Killian pulled away from her completely then, turning his back on her to turn the shower on. He took his time; slowly turning the water on, adjusting the temperature, and turning the showerhead on. While he took his sweet time, Emma did away with her underwear, hoisting herself up onto the edge of the countertop, legs spread – giving him an eyeful as he turned back around.

The look on his face was positively sinful and it only prove to make her feel even more wanton. Sex was always so calculated with her, before Killian. It was get it in, get off, and get lost. Not with Killian though. With him she wanted to take her time. To enjoy every last second of it.

Killian licked his lips, his gaze settling between her legs as he approached her. "I thought we were going to take a shower." He said lowly, his voice rough and gravely.

"We still are." Emma grinned, shifting her hip to give him an even _better_ view, her hands smoothing along her inner thighs. "But you sparked my interest with something earlier."

"_Ah_," Killian clicked his tongue against her teeth, brushing her hands away as he slid his own along her inner thighs. "I was hoping that you'd want this." He drawled out, leaning in to kiss her, before he knelt down in front of her.

She had never stuck around until this part and she was _dying _to see if that devious mouth of his was as good as she imagined it would be. She would have been lying if she claimed she hadn't thought of it in the moments following his little remark.

Emma kept her eyes focused on him. Watching as he leaned in, his hot breath dancing over her slick flesh. She bit down on her bottom lip in anticipation, one hand curled around the edge of the counter. His tongue swept out between her folds, little fissions of desire coursing through her as he worked his mouth over her sensitive center.

She cried out, her head falling back as his fingers joined his mouth. His tongue slid upwards, the tip teasing over her little bundle of nerves that made her back bow and her hips rock towards his mouth. She was shameless, letting go of all reservations as she gave herself over to his torment.

The worst part of it all was that it was going to end _too_ soon for her liking. He seemed to know how to play her just right. Twisting two of his deliciously long fingers in and out of her, curving them upwards just right – in tandem with the laps of his tongue against her clit.

Her fingers gripped his hair for purchase, finding that every little tug she gave at his dark locks, seemed to urge the speed of his actions.

"_Killian_!" Emma gasped loudly, right on the very edge of oblivion. He showed her no mercy. His mouth and his fingers pushing her clear over the edge. She cried out again, unable to stop the string of curses and utterance of his name from slipping from her mouth as he worked her through her release.

He rose to his feet before her, making a show of licking his lips clean. His scruff glistened with her arousal and his eyes glinted with desire.

Emma slid off of the counter, steadying herself on her wobbly legs, before she stepped towards him. "That was…" She stared up at him in disbelief, her cheeks flushed and her eyes glazed with desire.

Killian's hands rested at her hips, his eyes flickering between her mouth and her eyes. "That was _what_ sweetheart?" He questioned, his tongue darting out over his lips.

"I don't think there's even a word to describe that." Emma admitted, rising up on her toes to kiss him then. She could taste herself on his mouth, on his tongue, and she didn't care. All she wanted was _him_.

She pushed at the waistband of his boxers, working them down his hips, freeing him from the confines of the material.

Killian broke away from the kiss, turning them around so she was facing the mirror. It had fogged up considerably after he'd turned the shower on, but she could still clearly making out the pair of them. "Is this what you want _Emma_?" He questioned lowly, his lips close to her ear as he pressed against her, his cock hard against her ass. His hand slid from her hip, down between her thighs, stroking at flesh that he'd already suitably teased.

Emma inhaled sharply, her eyes focused on his gaze in their reflection. "Yes." She swallowed thickly, nodding her head. "But in the shower." Her voice wavered, her heart pounding in her chest. While she would never have traded the desperate, animalistic sex they'd shared in the cemetery, she wanted _more_ with him this time. She wanted to be chest-to-chest, face-to-face with him this time.

Killian smirked at her reflection. "_Good_." He all but growled out against her ear, before he took a step backwards and turned towards the tub.

Emma's legs felt like Jell-O as she followed him into the shower. She had to take a moment to marvel at him as he stood beneath the water's spray, his dark hair sticking to his forehead, water droplets trailing over his bare chest, leading downwards to his cock, which lay hardened against his stomach

Emma reached up to cup his cheek, before she leaned up to kiss him, groaning against his mouth as she tasted herself on his lips still. He wasn't even _in_ her yet, but she already knew – that the mind blowing quality of the sex they'd already had today, was no fluke. There was something about being with him that felt _so_ right.

Killian brushed her wet hair behind her shoulders, tucking it in behind her ears as he pulled back from the kiss, a smile spread over his lips as he met her eyes. "Hey beautiful." He said playfully, his hands trailing down her shoulders, along her waist, settling at her hips.

"Hey yourself." Emma grinned, her eyes searching his. He took a step forward, effectively pressing her back against the shower wall. Killian urged one leg upwards and she wrapped it around his hips, bringing them even closer to each other.

"I can't _wait_ to be in you again, love." Killian rasped out, rocking his hips against her. "Fucking you like we were _made_ to."

"Then why aren't you?"

Killian reached down between them, guiding his cock to her entrance and thrusting home. He gripped at her hip as he drew back and thrust forward again, driving into her fully. They both hissed out curses entangled with their names as he found a pace that sated both of them.

Emma's fingernails dug into his shoulders as she clung to him, rocking into his every thrust, grinding herself against him as he filled her again and _again_.

"You feel so _fucking_ good." Emma mumbled as she leaned up to kiss him, needy and desperate for _more_.

Killian grinned against her lips, his tongue darting out to invade her mouth, his hand coming up to cup her cheek as he deepened the kiss. It felt so overwhelming, so incredible, everything she wanted and more. If this was what it was like _without_ the true bond between them, she couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like _with_ it.

Emma moaned against his mouth as the angle of his thrusts hit a spot within her that had her reeling. "_Killian_." She whispered, her fingers curling around the back of his neck as she reclaimed his lips.

He picked up the pace of his movements, driving into her hard, desperately seeking a release for both of them. Killian gripped her hip tightly and she _knew_ she'd bare the marks in the morning, relishing the places his fingers had held her.

She broke from the kiss, sucking in a sharp breath as her inner muscles started to clench around him. Killian groaned loudly as he continued to drive into her until he went rigid, slamming into her one final time as his release hit.

Killian's weight pressed her back against the shower wall and she was thankful for the heat of his body, which kept her from getting cold as they basked in the pleasure of it all. In a moment like this she could easily forget about everything else. Right now, with him, there was nothing to worry about, there was no fear of what tomorrow might bring.

It was the calm before the storm.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/n:** I totally said I wasn't going to be updating this for awhile after I did my double post of 8 and 9. However, I woke up this morning with all of these ideas and scenes that wouldn't go away until I'd written them so, I present you with Chapter 10.

"_Killian_." Emma mumbled, blinking her eyes as she came awake, the bed shifting beneath her as Killian climbed out of it. "Where are you going?" She questioned, her voice thick with sleep as she watched him move across the room.

"My pack's calling." Killian explained, stepping into the bathroom to grab his clothes off the floor where they'd left them. "I have to go."

That snapped Emma from her half-awake state. She sat up then, wrapping the sheets around her chest, leaning over to turn the lamp on. "Have they found _him_?"

"I would assume so." He looked up at her briefly, before turning his attention to get dressed. "Hopefully I won't be gone long."

Emma chewed on her bottom lip, her heart pounding in her chest. "I'm going with you." She didn't want him to face this _alone_.

"No." Killian's eyes met hers as he zipped up his trousers. "You're staying here. I don't want there to be any suspicion of foul play here."

"But what about _you_?" Emma's brows furrowed together, searching his face.

"I'll be fine, love. Don't worry about me." Killian assured her, but he didn't meet her eyes. Instead he looked somewhere beside her, before looking away. "I should be back before you wake up."

"I don't think I'm going to be sleeping while you're gone." Emma retorted, her lips pressed into a thin line as she studied him. He was being distant. Avoiding her gaze, keeping his head down, his shoulders sagging downwards in defeat. "You better come back."

"I _will_."

But she didn't believe him. How could she? The pattern that she was _so_ used to said otherwise. Was she just going to lose him too? She still knew so little about this world she'd been thrust into. Would his pack kick him out? Would they punish him severely? Would they _kill_ him? There were too many questions without answers and not one theoretical answer she had came with a happy ending.

Killian moved back towards the bed, leaning down to cup her cheek, brushing his thumb over the rise of her cheekbone, before he kissed her. Emma curled her fingers around the back of his head, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

What would she do if he never came back?

Emma broke from the kiss, her lashes fluttering as she met his eyes. "_Please_ be safe." She whispered, stroking his cheek.

Killian pressed another quick kiss against her lips before he took a step backwards. "I'll be safe. Don't worry about me."

"Easier said than done." Emma retorted with a strained laugh, shaking her head. "You better come back in one piece."

Killian made a face, "I don't know how they feel about castration as punishment."

She scrunched up her nose, "Let's hope they're not into that." Emma said dryly, resting back against her pillow. "I'm kinda fond of that part of you."

"I'd noticed." Killian grinned at her as he walked backwards to the door. "You can remind me of how fond you are of it when I get back."

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Damn straight I will." Emma tucked her arms beneath her head, turning onto her side as she watched him pull his leather jacket on and slip out the door.

She had known that this would happen. It was always a matter of time before the second shoe dropped and here it was. She had seen that look of fear in his eyes when she'd asked him what they would do to the pair of them when they were at Lyndhurst. His pack's Alpha was _dead_ and there was every chance that they might suspect that he'd had a hand in it.

Emma let out a heavy sigh, rolling over to check the time. It was four in the morning. Could his pack not have waited until it was _actually_ morning? Given them a few more hours together. She was greedy, she wanted more time with him. He could have been walking to his death and she wouldn't know until he just didn't come back. It wouldn't have been the first time someone just walked right out of her life.

There was nothing on TV to watch that early in the morning, except for infomercials and terrible old shows from the sixties and seventies. She laid around in bed until she couldn't take it any longer. She showered and dressed and _waited_.

By seven he wasn't back and she wandered downstairs to get a plate of hotel breakfast, before returning to her room to eat it. She utilized the little coffee pot on the table in the room to make herself two more cups of coffee to wile away the hours.

At eight thirty someone pounded at the door. She hoped that it was Killian, but she knew that it wasn't. She grabbed the remote and muted the TV before heading towards the door.

Emma rose up on her toes to look through the peep hole, her heart jumping into her throat as she was met with sight of three large men standing outside of the door. She took a step back from the door as one of the men knocked again, pounding his fist into the door so hard that the doorknob rattled.

"_Killian_!" One of them shouted. "We know you're in there."

Her eyes widened. He _wasn't_ with her.

"He's _not _here!" Emma called back through the door. "He left around four this morning."

She could hear them talking on the other side of the door, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. "There's only one heartbeat." One of them said. Emma pressed her ear against the door, straining to hear them better. They were from his pack. She heard one of them men mention Edward and something about her being Killian's mate.

If he wasn't with _them_ – where was he? It was nearly noon and he hadn't shown back up. Had he left? This wasn't the time to over think and assume the worst of him.

"Care to open the door for us? We promise we don't bite."

"I'd prefer if I didn't." Emma retorted, taking a step away from the door.

"We just want to _talk_."

Emma crossed her arms across her chest, her jaw set hard as she stared at the door. "You don't seem to be unable to talk to me like this."

"We just have a few questions for you, lass. No need to be so hostile." One of the men chuckled. "No wonder she's _his _mate. So distrustful and snappy."

"Ask away then."

"Be careful mate. Remember what Ed said she was."

"I'm not afraid of no girl."

"_Shut up_." One of the men hissed out, silencing the other two. "Our Alpha has died."

"What?" Emma feigned surprise, thankful that they couldn't see her face. "Wait is that why you called for Killian this morning?"

"Yes." The man cleared his throat. "Edward had never officially named a Beta to take his place in the event of his death."

"Because he thought he was _invincible_." One of the other men remarked.

"Which is why his death is under investigation among us." One of the werewolves growled out, sending a shudder of fear through her. "Edward was a direct descendant of Fenrir's sons. They don't just _expire_ in their beds."

Emma's heart was pounding in her chest. With Killian _missing_ it looked even worse.

"We believe someone _helped_ the old bastard die."

"Seeing as Killian's unable to answer these questions for us, perhaps his little _mate _would be kind enough to enlighten us as to why the two of you were in Lyndhurst yesterday?"

"We went over there looking for books from Edward's library." Emma explained, as calmly as she could. "Killian did that weird knock three times thing and let us in. Edward was nowhere to be seen. We assumed he wasn't there."

"And you took it upon yourselves to _what_? Rob the man of his books?"

Emma's brows knit together. "We _looked_ at the books." They had only taken the one book. "And then we left."

"That's not what it looked like to us." The man who'd been doing the majority of the talking gritted out. "When we got there this morning the place had been _ransacked_."

"_What_?"

"You heard me. Edward's library was torn apart, books ripped and scattered around the mansion." They were whispering again. She didn't dare press her ear against the door again, in fear that they might try to knock the door down at that same moment. "There was a page torn from one of the books. An illustration of Huldra."

Emma swallowed thickly. Her pulse was thumping in her ears. "We looked at that when we were there. But I swear up and down that we put all of the books back on the shelves and _left_."

"So you mean to tell us that you and Killian were presumably the _last_ people to handle that page of the book before it ended up shoved into Edward's mouth?"

She was going to be sick. "No. _No_. Someone else had to have come in there after us. It was like five when we went over there, we looked around, and then we had dinner at the diner downtown. We were here the rest of the night."

"She ain't lying about the diner part. Stefan saw the pair of them coming out of the diner."

"And the room _reeks_ of sex." The other added.

Emma inhaled shakily before she started, "Look. I don't know how you guys feel about Killian. He hasn't really talked about the pack all that much." Was there _actually_ any way to talk herself out of this one? She had three huge werewolves standing outside of her only way out of her hotel room and Killian was nowhere to be found. "We went to Lyndhurst yesterday to try to figure out who's been killing all of those women here in town."

"And?"

"We think – no, we _know_ – it's Tyr." Emma explained. "The god whose hand Fenrir bit off?"

"Why the hell would Killian even be on the radar of a god?"

"Because," Should she have been telling them? It wasn't like Killian was there to tell her that it was a bad idea. "We found something written by one of your former pack mates – Asmund. Apparently Killian is related to Odin."

"Fuck that."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I'm just telling you what we found out." She shook her head. "It's really the only thing we have to go on right now."

The TV caught her attention then. It was still on mute, but the images on the screen said more than enough. _Caught: The Dream Girl Serial Killer_. She stepped towards the bed and grabbed the remote, turning the volume back on.

"Early this morning Officer Boyd of the Tarrytown Police Department received an anonymous tip that a man had been seen walking along the shoulder of the road which matched the description given to the police department by Sam Reese, the truck driver who discovered the body of Rebecca Lowe, who was visiting friends in town. Following the arrest of Killian Jones another grisly discovery was made by a resident of town. We are unable to reveal the identity of the young woman who was discovered murdered this morning, but stay with us as we continue to report this developing story throughout the day."

Emma couldn't believe what she was hearing _or_ seeing for that matter. Plastered on the screen was a mugshot of Killian, video footage of Boyd shoving him into the police department, words flashing over the screen about the number of murders attributed to the serial killer, claiming that _he _was without a doubt the killer. She knew that he wasn't. But that didn't mean that every person in town that was watching the news didn't believe every word that the media was feeding them. Where was innocent until proven guilty? Where was the media referring to him as a person of interest or a suspect, rather than claiming that the serial killer had been _caught_.

She felt numb.

Emma turned on her heels and walked towards the door, unlatching the chain at the top, unlocking the door, and pulling it open. "I need your help."

The men sneered at her, before looking past her towards the TV in the room. They'd heard every word of it. She knew.

"I don't care if you hate me for what I am. I don't even care if you think Killian and I killed your Alpha. None of that matters right now." She stared up at the man who seemed to be the dominant among the three of them. "You're going to help me get him out."

All thoughts of lawyers and representation for him were gone now. All she cared about was getting him out of jail and away from this mess before it got worse than it already was.

"Never thought I'd see the day that I'd be taking orders from someone who was designed to kill me."

"I guess there's a first for everything." Emma said with a hint of a smirk on her lips. "I'm Emma by the way."

"Edric," The shaggy blonde introduced himself, holding his hand out for her to shake. He had a powerful grip, which matched his large build and power-stance. "These are Callum and Duncan." He explained, nodding to the two men who flanked him.

Though the three men were starkly different from each other and from Killian, there was something about them that set them apart from other men as werewolves.

"She looks like what you'd expect of a _nymph_." Duncan, the one with the thick red beard remarked, his eyes raking over her – sizing her up it seemed.

Emma rolled her eyes, holding her hand up to keep any of them from saying anything else. "Yeah, alright, let's get this out of the way _now._ I was just a normal person before I ended up in this town and it'd be great if you could just treat me like I'm a normal person. I _never_ knew there was anything different about me until I met Killian. I know almost nothing about _her_, so you really don't have to worry about me trying to kill you." Her expression turned serious then. "Unless you try to _attack_ me."

Duncan and Callum seemed amused by her words, but Edric seemed to realize the weigh that they held. He gave a thoughtful nod, his lips pressed into a thin line as he held her gaze for a long moment.

Emma nodded, turning away from them. "Give me a minute to pack my shit." The cops knew where she was staying. If Killian went missing from jail, they'd know where to look. She shoved everything she had into her suitcase, grabbing Asmund's book off the chest, stowing it safely away in her suitcase, before she moved back towards the door. "Let's go."

"Do we have a plan or are we just winging it?" Callum questioned as the men followed behind her.

"I haven't really got that far. All I know is that we need to get Killian out of jail before this goes any further." Emma glanced back over her shoulder as they waited for the elevator. "Is there anywhere for Killian to hide after we get him out?"

Edric nodded, "Yes. There's a basement beneath Lyndhurst. I'm sure that the cops will look there for him, but it's not on the blueprints. No one should know about it."

"_Perfect_." Emma's fingers trembled as they stepped onto the elevator and she pressed the button for the first floor. "Now, I'm just going to warn you, but I drive a _really_ small car. There's no way I'm going to be able to fit the three of you in it."

"Cal and I can run." Duncan said, knocking his elbow into Callum's ribs. "He needs to run anyways. Starting early on a New Year's resolution to lose some weight."

"Fuck you man." Callum sneered, pushing Duncan's elbow away from him.

Emma arched a brow, "Scared?"

"_No_." They both retorted quickly. _Too_ quickly.

Edric chuckled, clearly amused by the two men's apparent fear of her. The fear wasn't without reason either, though Emma had a feeling that only Edric had read between the lines. They had every reason to fear, but only if they attacked her.

"The pair of you are going to meet us down the road from the police station," Edric said firmly, giving them both no-nonsense looks. "From there we're going to figure out how to make this work."

Emma unlocked her car, pulling the door open and folding her seat forward so she could shove her suitcase in the backseat. She pushed her seat back into place, before turning to look at the men. "Let's do this."

"See ya in a bit mates." Callum remarked before he shifted into his wolf form. His coat was dark like Killian's, but not quite as black.

Duncan flashed them a charming grin before he turned. The white and ginger colored wolf lunged at the other canine, nipping at his feet before he went tearing off down the hill with Callum fast on his heels.

Her brows rose upwards as she looked at Edric. "Are we sure we want to use the two of them in a plan like this?"

Edric cracked a brief grin as he joined her in her car. "They're good men, despite what you've seen. They'll pull through."

"I hope you're right." Emma sighed, shaking her head. "I don't mean this to be rude, but is _everyone_ in your pack a guy?"

He shook his head. "No. We have several women among our ranks. Duncan's mate was in the pack before him and I brought my Kyna into the pack."

"And does everyone in your pack feel the way Edward did about Killian?" Emma questioned, giving Edric a sideways look as she started up the engine of her car.

Edric shook his head, "No. I mean he _is_ quite the nuisance, but I think I think most of that comes from the way Edward has bullied him over the past centuries." He looked out the window then, "Edward was rather strict about how he wanted the pack to behave among each other. Killian was on the bottom of totem I'm afraid."

"So you guys treated him like shit because Edward told you to? Didn't Killian help found the pack?"

"He did." Edric explained, "When I was brought in I assumed he was the Beta. But as the pack grew and some of us began to favor Killian over Edward, he quickly shut down that notion."

Emma's brows knit together, "You said Edward died without naming a Beta?"

Edric nodded, letting out a heavy sigh. "Unfortunately there are others in the pack that still ascribe to Edward's feelings for Killian and due to the nature of Edward's death, they don't believe he should remain in the pack. Others, like myself, are in favor of Killian assuming the position of Alpha."

"He's going to be a wanted man now, how would that work?" Emma was focusing on that part of Killian's life, instead of the part where she fit in. Because she didn't know how she was going to take him home to Boston with her. There was every chance that she'd be considered an accomplice, especially once Killian was broken out of jail. _Best laid plans_.

"If I can sway the pack to allow him to remain with us and take on the role of Alpha, we'll have to leave Tarrytown permanently." Edric tapped his fingers against the door, "However, packs are typically led by those related to Fenrir."

Emma frowned. "What would Killian do if he's banished from the pack?"

"He'll have to become a lone wolf, which would leave him virtually defenseless against hunters and others who don't see werewolves in a positive light." Edric turned to look at her then, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Without a true mate he would have no one."

Emma bristled at his words. "He hasn't really had anyone at all has he?" She scoffed, "Because he wouldn't be in this mess right now if his pack had protected him."

"That's Edward's doing." Edric replied simply.

Emma's fingers tightened around her steering wheel, "I'm just going to throw this one out there, but… If Edward had discovered that Killian was a descendent of Odin, do you think that he would have been able to enlist Tyr into helping him defame Killian?" She glanced towards Edric then, noting the way he was clenching his jaw.

"I wouldn't put it past him, honestly." He shook his head, brows furrowed together in thought. "It would have meant that Killian possessed gods' blood, Edward might have viewed him as a threat to his role as Alpha."

"And what exactly would gods' blood do for Killian?" Emma questioned curiously, switching on her turn signal as she waited at a light.

Edric turned to look at her, a brow arched upwards. "I honestly don't know. There's never been any werewolves – as far as I know – that possessed gods' blood. It would be a rarity, a wild card among us."

Emma couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, that meant that her blood wouldn't affect him the way that it had Edward. But she wasn't about to test that out, not when even the tiniest amount was so lethal.

"You're much more civil than I was expecting." Emma stated as she started to drive again. "You and the other two came in guns blazing."

Edric chuckled. "You'll have to forgive us for that. It looked rather bad. Our Alpha was dead, one of the pack didn't come when we called, _and_ we all knew he'd been fraternizing with you."

"Well, I _am_ his mate." Emma said firmly, giving Edric a sideways look. She would have never thought that saying _that_ would have been so simple, so natural.

"You're also poison to our kind." He remarked, crossing his arms across his chest. "We had reason to suspect both of you." There was a moment of silence before Edric continued, "Suspicion which I no longer agree with."

Emma's breath caught in the back of her throat. Was he really saying what she thought he was saying?

"Once we have safely rescued Killian from this situation, rest assured that Kyna and I will sway the packs' opinion on the matter." Edric said calmly, his eyes boring into the side of her head.

"Thank you." Emma offered, keeping her gaze fixed on the road. "Hopefully the pack will listen to you. Because I _promise_ what happened was no intentional." She was trusting him with the truth. She was going on her gut instinct. Despite how callous he had been initially, he had seemed nothing but open and honest with her since. "When we left everything was exactly how it had been when we got there."

"Then someone came after _it _was done." Edric concluded. "If you're right and this has something to do with Tyr. It's possible that he's continuing to sabotage Killian. He would be out of luck right now if the pack had turned against him. He wouldn't have the cavalry coming to his aid."

"So the three of you are the cavalry?" Emma made a face at that. "Let's just hope this works out." She pursed her lips, "Do we even know what we're going to do?"

Edric smoothed his fingers through his hair. "You're going to stay in the car." He raised his hand to keep her from protesting, "The three of us are going to go in and ask about bail for Killian–"

Emma interrupted then, "He's probably not going to be allowed bail. Not if they're running press statements acting like they've caught a serial killer."

"Ah, but it doesn't matter if they're going to accept bail for him or not. While I speak with them Callum and Duncan are going to go to the restroom and shift, from there they're going to slip back to wherever they're holding him and attempt to break him out."

"_Attempt_." Emma emphasized, her heart pounding in her chest as she pulled into the parking lot down the street from the police department. Callum and Duncan were already waiting for them, laying on their backs on the pavement, sunning themselves. "It's definitely attempting to save him with _them_." She shut the car off and gave Edric a skeptical look. "This has to work."

"It will." Edric assured her. "You might not believe me, but I do care about Killian and those two idiots out there do as well."

Emma weighed his words, trying to find some hint of a lie on his face. Either he was being honest or he had convinced himself that he was and he was damn good liar. "Bring him back to me."

Edric started to open the car door before he stopped, turning to look at her. "I've been around Killian for a _very_ long time. I was there the first time he believed he found his mate." He narrowed his eyes. "He's never really been the same since then."

"_Milah_." Emma canted her head to the side, brows furrowing together. "He told me about her. I can only imagine what that loss was like for him." She didn't know what he was angling at with this. It was an odd time to bring up some past lover of Killian's.

"Then don't make him go through a loss like that again." Edric said firmly, "It's been what? A _day_ since you met him and you're throwing around the word _mate_ like it's no different than calling him your boyfriend." His brows rose upwards then, holding her gaze. "You'll never fully be able to be his mate, Emma. There will always be something missing between the two of you because of that."

Emma stiffened, embarrassment and guilt burning at her cheeks. "If I had any say in what I am, I would give that part of me away." Even as she said those words, she remembered what Killian had said to her about loving that part of herself, even if it scared her. "_But_," She started, the words tumbling from her lips. "That's not what Killian wants. He's not afraid of me and what I am. We can make this work."

Edric's eyes held hers for a long moment before he moved to get out of the car. "Leave the door open and be ready for him." He ordered her, before clapping his hands to get the attention of Duncan and Callum.

Emma had no idea what Edric had been looking for her to say. She had pretty much assumed that no one in his pack gave a shit about him, but Edric seemed pretty intent in not wanting _her _to hurt Killian. She wanted to be with him. She was _still _there. Logic and reason said that she should have already been driving back to Boston and putting this place and him behind her. But she couldn't leave him. She couldn't _lose _him.

And Emma knew, even if it was foolhardy and _incredibly_ soon, that Killian was the sort of man she could fall in love with. _Had _fallen in love with.

The passenger door slammed shut, causing Emma to yelp in surprise. The trees beyond the window were still and the flag in front of the police station lay motionless against the pole.

"Start the engine." The voice was familiar. Emma's eyes snapped up to the rearview mirror.

The man from the cemetery.

"_Drive_." It was Tyr.


	11. Chapter 11

"It doesn't make _sense_."

"Perhaps you were wrong about her." Kyna's voice was level toned, her eyes focused on her mate as he paced their room. "You should be the first to admit that you _have_ been wrong in the past."

Edric gave a grunt at that, shoulders sagging as he met her gaze. "Killian deserves better than this. The entire plan could have fallen through because of her. I honestly believed she would be there when we returned with him. The way she spoke of him. _Believed_ in him."

Kyna shook her head, a knowing smile curving her lips. "You were blinded by the belief that Killian could have something like we have." She moved towards him then, lifting her hand to touch his strong jaw, "Unwavering belief in someone you barely know in their darkest hour."

He covered her hand with his own, his thumb rubbing over the back of her hand. "Killian doesn't know. Not yet." Edric sighed, deflated. "As long Callum and Duncan keep their traps shut, he won't know until I've figured out how to tell him."

Her lips stretched into a thin line then. "I'm sure he was present when she killed Edward. You should reveal to him the truth, sooner rather than later. She's a _Huldra_-"

Despite the way she hissed out the word, Edric corrected her gently. "And his mate."

"It wouldn't be the first time a wolf's mate betrayed them." Kyna insisted, though she didn't raise her voice with him. "Given what she is, I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't learn just enough about us to destroy our pack."

"_No_." Edric's jaw set hard, his thumb still idly rubbing over her dark skin. "If her intention had been to come here and dismantle our pack, then she's doing it with trepidation and uncertainty."

"Edric, you can spend the rest of the day describing to me how fearful she looked of who she is or how convincingly she claimed to care about Killian, but at the end of the day I _know _firsthand what a Huldra is capable of doing. Killian is better without her. Innocent or not." She pulled her hand away from his, her chin jutting upwards as she held his gaze. "You _must_ tell Killian. If we are to decide that he is our new Alpha, he has to be able to cut the ties to this town and lead us away from here."

He looked away, staring at the stony wall across from him, features etched with weight of the decisions he had to make. "Casting your anger onto her isn't fair, Kyna."

"I'm not angry." She said coolly, arms crossing across her chest. "I let go of that anger _centuries_ ago. But I will never forget that a Huldra killed my parents _and_ my child." Kyna arched a brow, "Let me tell him."

As she brushed past him to leave, Edric caught her arm, keeping her at his side. "Let me handle this my love. Much like you, Killian has a tendency of letting his emotions cloud his judgment. Telling him that this woman – his_ mate_ – simply played him, without being certain of that fact…" He shook his head. Both Kyna and Killian had a habit of acting rashly when they were hurt.

"Handle it then." Kyna said softly, her eyes seeking his. "Tell him. I'll meet you here once it's been done."

"Thank you." Edric leaned down and kissed her forehead, fingers trailing over her arm before he moved to leave the room.

Beneath Lyndhurst was a secret network of corridors carved into the ground which extended – in great mass – beneath the entire property and out towards the Hudson River. The entire pack had taken to their underworld, wishing to remain out of the public gaze until they had decided what their course of action would be. It was well known that Killian was a part of them, but no one knew _why_.

Callum and Duncan were sprawled out on the ground playing cards, beside the door where they'd placed Killian. "Always glad to have the best and brightest keeping watch." Edric commented, shaking his head as he moved to enter the room.

"What?" Duncan questioned, looking up from the cards he had gripped in his hands. "Sorry, I've got to keep focused here. I'm not about to let Callum beat me."

"Whatever mate," Callum waved his hand dismissively. "You've lost five rounds."

"Best out of twelve." Duncan retorted.

Edric rolled his eyes. "Be back in a tick." He stated, shutting the door behind him.

"Now don't take this the wrong way mate, because I _am_ flattered by the fact that you deemed me worthy enough to be rescued from jail, but… having Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dumb keeping watch outside my door's a bit unnerving. Did you break me out just to delay the inevitable?"

"It depends on what you perceive to be the inevitable." Edric retorted, arching a brow as he eyed the dark haired werewolf who was perched on the edge of the bed, fingers laced together with a look that was better suited for a man waiting for execution. Which Killian was of the mind that he was awaiting.

Killian pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek. "Given the fact that I tend to be the scape goat among you lot, I'd assume you all want my hide for something."

"Edward's death."

"He's_ really_ dead?" Killian's lack of shock or distress would have concerned Edric, had he not been privy to the truth already. But to admit that he knew, meant that he'd have to let Killian in on the fact that he'd been with Emma. He was going to take the easy way out.

"That he is," Edric said with as little emotion as Killian was. "We're keeping you here until we've made a decision about moving forward with all of this." The blonde held up his hand to keep Killian from interrupting him. "We believe that the Huldra killed Edward."

Killian's expression shifted, pain and panic rolling off of him, before he pulled himself back together. "Edward told you about her?"

"That she's your mate?" Edric gave a stiff nod. "We have no plans to harm her." Though he wanted to wring her neck for putting him in this situation. Lying to Killian when there was _no one_ forcing him to be cruel to the man. He wanted to believe that something had happened. That there was a reason she'd left. But there was nothing to go on. "On one condition."

"And what is _that_?"

Edric steeled himself for the lie that left his mouth so easily that it should have frightened him. "That you sever the connection now."

Killian's feet hit the ground with a _clap_ that echoed off of the thick stone walls around them. His fists were curled into balls at his sides as he paced. Edric gave him his time. He let the man, who had suffered so much already, take in this new form of punishment.

"You should be thankful that this was our decision." Edric said after the silence wore on for far too long. "Kyna favored destroying _her_." The blonde werewolf moved to sit on the edge of the table across from where Killian still paced the floor. "I'm sorry it came to this Killian."

"No you're _not_." Killian bit back, eyes flashing in his direction. "None of you are sorry. Don't give me that shit. I bet you all had a right laugh when Edward told you who my mate was."

"Why _did_ you tell him?"

Killian stiffened. "Because I was a bloody fool who thought I was doing the right thing. Bringing my mate before the Alpha. Like we're fucking supposed to do." His jaw set hard, glaring at Edric. "Fucking archaic rule if you ask me. I didn't _need _his approval." He scoffed. "If you _have _made up your mind on all of this, why can't I leave?"

"Because, there's more to it."

"_What_ now?" Killian's eyes narrowed. "I'll do whatever the lot of you want, so long as you don't bring her into this. I'll stay away from her." The words sounded twisted and forced, like poison on his tongue.

Edric shook his head. "I'm sorry Killian. I can't tell you until the decision has been made." His shoulders sagged. "I know you think that _all_ of us despise you, but… there are some of us who care about your wellbeing. We always have." Even if it wasn't always evident. "Edward's death has allowed some of us to reveal that."

_Distrust_. It was clear to him that no matter what he said to Killian, he had already made the decision to distrust him and everyone else. How Emma had found a way beneath his skepticism, Edric didn't have a clue.

"I'm not fond of being placated." Killian gritted out, looking away from him then. "If you don't mind, I'd prefer to be alone now."

"It's for the best Killian." Edric said with an exhausted sigh. "I'm _sorry_."

Killian growled low in the back of his throat. "I don't want your apologies. Run back to _your_ mate and remember that you get to be with her."

Edric gave a stiff nod before exiting the room, stepping back out into the long corridor, where Callum and Duncan still were ensconced in their game. "Any luck man?" He questioned, nudging Duncan with his foot.

"Best out of _twenty_." Callum remarked with a snort of laughter. "Keeps upping when we're playing to, but I still keep winning."

Duncan chucked a card at the other man. "Put a muzzle on it you tosser."

"Stay here and keep watch." He said, clapping his hands together to get their attention.

"I doubt he's going to go anywhere," Duncan remarked, stretching his arms above his head. "He's not got anywhere _to_ go. Unless he wants to end up back in jail."

Callum stifled a yawn. "He's lucky he's here in the first place, with his blonde bit leaving us high and dry." Edric grimaced at the wolf's words, hoping that Killian wasn't listening at the door and if he was, that he wouldn't understand the context of the remark.

"Still trying to figure that one out." Edric said distantly as he raked his fingers through his hair, his jaw set hard. "Just don't let him go. I'll be back shortly."

He needed to talk with Kyna. She was always helpful in bouncing ideas off. Their own differences which were found in each other, were what made them such a great team. Something he swore he saw in both Killian and Emma, though he'd only been with both of them separately. What he knew was lacking in Killian, he'd seen in Emma.

While he'd gone to the hotel with guns blazing, so to speak, he had been convinced that the woman he would encounter would be a cruel, uncaring, killer. Instead he'd found someone with unwavering belief in a man she barely knew.

"Is that _really _necessary?" Edric questioned with an amused look, eyeing the canine that was stretched out on the bed as he stepped into their room. "I'd much prefer to talk to my _wife_, rather than inferring your replies based on your ears twitching."

The dark coated wolf, turned onto its back, before Kyna shifted back into her human form, languidly laying across the bed. "Oh? Do you want to apologize for throwing me under the boss?" She questioned with a sing-song tone, a lazy grin on her lips as she rolled back onto her stomach, tucking her hands beneath her chin as she stared at him.

Edric chuckled. "You heard that, did you?" He knew she'd hear him, but he hadn't had much of a choice. Their bond was unique, as many tended to be, allowing them to hear – or rather, _telepathically eavesdrop _– on each other. "I had no other choice. I had to think on my feet." He shrugged, sinking down onto the mattress beside him. "I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place."

Kyna moved to lay closer to him, draping an arm over his legs. "He'll survive this. He's a survivor."

"Like you." Edric said warmly, stroking his fingers over her hair. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." He _wished_ that was the truth with Killian. "I wish that I didn't have to lie to him. I wish I _knew_ where she'd gone."

Kyna sighed, "Is there anything she _said_ that might lead you to know where she's gone?" She tilted her head to look up at him. "Otherwise she _left_ and is probably not returning, unless she returns to kill us."

"I don't believe she plans to _kill_ us Kyna. Give the woman a little credit."

"Always the optimist." Kyna clicked her tongue against her teeth, taking her mate's hand in hers, tracing the lines that were etched into his palm. "Remember what a Huldra _is_. They're sirens of the forest. They tempt and lure and deceive _everyone_."

"You weren't there. All she cared about was saving Killian." Edric shook his head. "If she were truly bent on killing us, would she have wanted to save Killian from jail?"

Kyna's brows knit together. "Despite what she is, I would assume there's still the pull of being his mate." She seemed to have an answer for everything. "Did she threaten you and the boys?"

He hesitated. "She did. But she threatened us _if_ we attacked her first."

"And you_ still _believe her to be innocent?" Kyna questioned, her tone laced with her skepticism. "Is there more to this than you've told me?"

Edric's jaw set hard and he nodded, "_Yes_. Emma explained to me that she and Killian had been trying to figure out why he's being pinned for these murders. They believe it's Tyr-"

"God of heroic glory?" Kyna gave a soft laugh. "Why would he have anything to do with Killian? He's not even a descendent of Fenrir."

"No, but he _is_ a descendent of Odin."

Kyna sat up then, eyes widened with confusion. "Killian Jones? The _mutt _that Edward mistakenly made? Related to Odin?" She shook her head, a sound of amusement slipping past her lips. "That can't be right."

Edric's shoulders sagged. "They discovered it written in a journal of Asmund's."

"The man was barely lucid at times. He might have been a font of knowledge, one that we all owe much to, but…" Kyna fell back against the bed, running her hand over her face. "In all of my years, I have never _once _heard of this. A son of Odin being turned into a werewolf? Wouldn't we have known before now?"

"Unless it was a secret." Edric moved to lay beside his mate, his arm curled possessively around her as the spoke. "Emma believed that Edward might have had something to do with all of this. If he was working with Tyr to dismantle _any _chance of Killian finding out who he is."

"All of us have wondered _why _Edward despised him." Kyna turned to face her husband, brows pinched together with questioning. "But would Tyr have worked with a man whose line came directly from Fenrir?"

"I wish I knew." Edric sighed. "Edward had dubious associations. Wayland for starters."

"You should ask Killian what else they learned while poking around the library." Kyna offered, cupping Edric's cheek.

He turned to kiss her palm. "Unfortunately asking him that would mean telling him I was with Emma today. He already distrusts me."

"He doesn't trust his biggest fan?" Kyna teased lightly.

Edric cracked a faint smile. "He doesn't see it that way."

"I'm sure he'd be thankful that you're standing up for _her_. When common sense says that you should be thankful she's long gone."

"I saw myself in her, Kyna." Edric explained quietly. "You were wild and unstable when I found you and _everyone _told me to stay away from you, whether you were my mate or not." He kissed her palm again, letting his lips linger against her skin. "The way she spoke of Killian. That passion and drive to _save_ him. So certain that she could make it work with him."

Kyna sighed affectedly, "Then _where_ do you think she is?"

"I think Tyr has her."

* * *

><p>"Turn on the radio."<p>

Emma flinched at the way his voice cut through the silence. Her fingers trembled as she reached for the button, twisting the small dial to find a station that came through clear. Her car was _old_ and the radio had always been unreliable.

"Go back." He ordered after she passed over a semi-clear station. "I like this song." The white noise that faded in and out strangely added to the song that he sat in the backseat idly singing to. _Wake Me Up Inside_.

A terrifying, murderous god, with a taste in Evanescence. She hadn't been expecting that.

"Where am I driving to?" Emma questioned, glancing in the rear view mirror. It hadn't been long since he'd appeared in her backseat. Not even an hour, but it felt like more. That feeling she'd felt in the cemetery, the gnawing sense of foreboding felt doubled in the confined space.

All she cared about was Killian, not even herself in this situation. Had Edric and the other two been able to save him? Did they get away? Had they been caught too?

Was Edric convincing Killian that she didn't care about him? Given what he'd said when they parted… Her disappearance in the interim would have made him think she'd bolted. Much like herself he'd _expected_ to find a fault in her.

But her failure was out of her control.

Tyr didn't answer her, not until the song had ended and he leaned up between the front seats to turn the radio back down. "Hands on the wheel, eyes on the road." He snapped as he leaned back in his seat. "We're going to visit a friend of mine."

The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end. "And you needed a ride?" Emma remarked, trying to keep herself in high spirits.

"Something like that." He chuckled with a twisted grin. "See, I couldn't let you save Killian. That just wouldn't be fair to anyone. A man should suffer the consequences of his crimes."

Emma tensed. "We both know he didn't kill _anyone_."

"He has killed. Not these women. Not anyone in a long time." Had she not had that conversation with Killian, she would have felt sick, confused. "But you've killed haven't you?" Tyr's fingers played with her hair through the gap in the back of her headrest.

"News sure does spread, doesn't it?" Emma said humorously, leaning forward slightly, trying to keep herself out of his reach. "Do the gods know what you've been doing?"

"No." Tyr chuckled. "Odin turned a blind eye on me _long_ ago. I have free reign because he chooses not to see me."

Emma glanced at the rearview mirror, trying to gauge the expression that matched his emotionless words. "I thought Odin was the one that asked you to bind Fenrir?" She was playing a dangerous game with these questions.

"He did. After I became _less_ in his eyes, he found favor in others."

"But what does Killian have to do with that?"

"I think you _know_." He snapped out, leaning up between the seats again, eyes boring into her face. "Turn left at Ferncliff, drive straight through and take the dirt road." Tyr's nearness made her feel sick, fear coursing through her veins, and she tried to push away the thoughts of what he might _do_.

"Trust me. I _don't_ know." Emma insisted. "You're a god. You should know that. I _just_ found out what I am." He turned the radio back up again, pointedly ignoring her words. He had a taste for early 2000s metal-rock bands, as he sat in the backseat and sang to the AFI song that was now blasting through the white noise of her radio. If she hadn't been forced to drive a madman god to the middle of nowhere, she would have been singing along to the catchy lyrics of _Miss Murder_.

Ferncliff was a cemetery. A large white-faced mausoleum dominated the landscape. It wasn't nearly as picturesque as the cemetery she'd first encountered Tyr in and yet there was something about it that felt dangerous.

"So is this the part where you tell me to park, get out of the car, and dig my own grave or something?" Emma questioned, fingers curled tightly around the steering wheel as she maneuvered the car down the dirt road.

"Seeing as your new canine companions were going to rescue your _mate_… Wouldn't that be something? Escaping prison to _murder_ his little lover." Tyr laughed darkly, cracking his knuckles.

Set back in the woods at the end of the narrow path was what seemed to be an abandoned house, or at least one whose tenant didn't keep up with the care. Shutters hung haphazardly from their hinges, the paint peeling, the front porch was off-kilter.

Emma's stomach lurched at the thought of being _alone_ in a place like that with the man behind her. She'd been in her fair share of bad situations, ones that she'd only _narrowly_ escaped. She was savvy. Despite how bleak the outcome was looking, she was going to get out of this.

She was going to get back to Killian.

Unless Edric convinced the pack to leave Tarrytown and then she wouldn't know where to find him. She could summon up _hopeful_ visions of escaping from Tyr, heading back home to Boston, only to have Killian turn up at her front door in the days that followed.

She _never_ thought of the future. She never hoped for anything.

Until Killian.

"So based on your music tastes, I'm guessing you're a fan of early 2000s rock bands?" Emma glanced back at Tyr, trying to fill the void of silence and _stop_ thinking about possibilities that might never happen. "Do you like The Killers?"

Tyr hummed. "_Mr. Brightside_ is overplayed."

"_When You Were Young_ is pretty good in my opinion." Emma smiled, trying to be genuine about her words. She'd had a night class in negotiating hostage situations. The bail bonds agency she worked for wanted her to be prepared for anything.

Make _friends _with the captor.

"You would like that song," A low rumble of laughter escaped his mouth, setting her on edge. "Park in front. Get out of the car." Tyr ordered, his voice firm, _dangerous_. "If you try to run, I assure you there will be no happy endings for you."

Emma swallowed thickly. "Is there the potential for one?" She questioned, putting the car into park.

"Depends on your point of view." Tyr remarked, vanishing from the backseat of her car, only to appear in front of the car. There was definitely no way to run from _that_.

She pushed the car door open, tucking her car keys into her pocket. Emma tried to hide the fear that was churning in her stomach, keeping an open posture, hands tucked into her back pockets.

"So," She started, taking a few steps away from her car cautiously. "Who's this friend of yours?" Emma questioned.

"His name's Smith." Tyr's lips twisted into a smirk as he gestured for her to walk ahead of him.

Emma's brows knit together as she moved to step ahead of him, making her way up the rickety stairs to the uneven porch. A faint pungent scent of rotting eggs met her nostrils, making her stomach lurch again. _Sulfur_. She'd learned that one off some low budget SyFy movie.

Before she had a chance to even knock on the front door, the interior was pulled open. Through the screen door she came face-to-face with a hideous sight. The man was dressed in flowing back robes, the scent of sulfur even stronger now as she stared into the voids that had once been his eyes. His face was partially skeletal, gaunt angles, sunken in cheeks, skin stretched and torn – like a skeleton that had been picked at by vultures. The flesh was gathered in a puckered ring around his neck, where it was evident that his head had been severed and sewn back on.

"Quit gaping and step inside." He snarled out, pushing the screen door open. The man's dark holes focused on Tyr behind her, "I told you I didn't want _trouble_. I thought our deal was done."

Emma dropped her gaze as she stepped past him. Was he the Headless Horseman that Killian had told her was real? If he was, then Tyr hadn't made her drive too far outside of Tarrytown, otherwise he wouldn't be the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow.

"The Valkyries didn't finish the job."

"Then you should take up your grievances with the complaint department."

Emma bit her lip to keep from laughing at that. Somehow, of all the erroneous facts out there about supernatural creatures, the one she found to be the most off was that they were _never _portrayed with a sense of humor.

She lifted her gaze from the floor, surprised to see a man, instead of the ghastly faced figure that had let them in. He still wore the flowing black robes, but instead of the half-skeletal head she found herself staring at a ghostly pale man with long black hair tied back into a thick ponytail.

"It's an enchantment." He fixed his yellow gaze on her.

"What?"

He gestured to his face. "In here my _guests_ see me as I once looked. Out there, they see the man of legends."

Emma nodded her head slowly, taking it all in. "Headless Horseman?"

"I prefer to go by Wayland Smith."

Tyr cleared his throat. "Back to your blunder _Smith_."

"It's not _my_ blunder. You told me to get the Valkyries to go after him and I _did_." He tucked his hands into the sleeves of his robes, crossing his arms across his chest. "So, _what_, did they not kill him?"

"No." Tyr gritted out, his jaw set so hard that Emma could see the tick of his muscle from where she was standing. "He got away."

"Partially my fault." Emma interjected, rocking on her heels. The men turned to look at her. "The Valkyries… they said something about how it would be _me_."

Tyr flashed her a toothy grin. "You?"

Wayland's yellow eyes raked over her, before he inhaled deeply. "She's a Huldra, of course it will be her."

Tyr chuckled. "They convene with the Moirai. They would know what lays at the end of your thread." He turned to look at Wayland, a look of sheer madness in his eyes. "Do you know what this means?"

"That you're going to ask another favor of me?" Wayland said drolly. "They're playing the anniversary production of _Phantom of the Opera _this evening, let's not make this drag on all day."

"The witch."

Emma's brows shot upwards, her lips pressed into a thin line as she stared at Tyr. He said no more than that. Wayland seemed to know exactly what he meant by that, his lips stretched into an evil sort of smile.

"If you'll excuse me," Wayland grandly bowed, before he vanished.

"What are you planning on doing?" Emma questioned, turning to look at Tyr. Her throat felt tight, her mouth dry as fear drove itself deep into her bones.

"You shouldn't have played hero Emma." Tyr tsked, taking a step forward, using his height to his advantage. "You should have let the Valkyries put the mutt down. I would have let you leave this town in one piece."

Emma went rigid. "I thought you weren't going to kill me."

Tyr smirked. "I _never_ said that Emma. Don't worry Nyx has a gentle hand, I'm sure it won't hurt."

She could run.

_Escape._

But she knew he'd catch her and who knew what he'd do if she even attempted to. The look of madness in his eyes seemed to grow with each passing moment. Unhinged and dangerous.

"What are you going to do to me?" Emma questioned, her lashes fluttering as the words dropped from her lips, laced with the fear she was trying to hide.

"I'm going to use you." Tyr chuckled. "Not like _that_. No. I'm going to use you to kill the werewolves." His fingers brushed over her arm and she was thankful that she couldn't feel his touch through the leather of her jacket.

"I won't let you kill them." Emma said, fixing him with a level gaze, fingers curling into fists at her sides.

"That's where Nyx is needed." Tyr chuckled. "When night falls tomorrow I will have accomplished what Odin never thought possible. Fenrir's line will end." A smile broke across his face. "He will finally see me as his _son_ again."


	12. Chapter 12

"You son of a bitch!" The sudden shouting was followed by the sound of something smashing against a wall.

"That was a _priceless_ vase!"

It was a _vase_. That was what had been hurled against the room.

"Do I look like I care about your priceless trinkets Wayland?"

Emma gave Tyr a look, before glancing towards the doorway that led to the other half of the house, which sounded like a warzone at the moment.

"They have a tumultuous relationship."

Her brows rose upwards as something else shattered.

"How many _fucking_ times do I have to tell you to _not_ interrupt me while I'm at a show? I can see your skull. I know it's not _that _thick you idiot."

"Nyx. We have _guests_."

"Oh, I see how it is." The woman in the other room snarled out. "You pull me out of watching _Side Show_ to entertain your _guests_? Fuck you Wayland. That's a limited run. You're making me miss out on a piece of Broadway history."

"You and I both know that it doesn't close until January."

"_And_?"

"I have Tyr breathing down my neck on this one." Wayland said in a whisper-voice that could _clearly_ be heard from where Emma and Tyr were a few rooms over. "Look, I'll get you a ticket for the matinee tomorrow."

"I don't want to see the matinee. I wanted to see _today's_ show Wayland. How fucking dumb do you have to be?"

Emma had to wonder how they were going to get this woman to do whatever mumbo-jumbo they had planned. While there _was_ humor in all of this, she was still their captive and they still had a nefarious plan.

"Are they always like this?" Emma asked, crossing her arms across her chest as she looked towards Tyr who was leaning against the doorframe.

"_Unfortunately_." Tyr sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as though he were getting a headache.

"Please babe –"

"We haven't dated in sixteen years, do _not_ call me babe."

"It has _not_ been sixteen years Nyx." Wayland remarked. "I believe it was _you _who came to me last week. Begging for me to take you back."

"I don't _beg_." Nyx insisted, her voice strained in such a way that Emma was all too familiar with when it came to lies. "You're the one who begs. Too hideous to lure a woman in here where you don't look like a vulture's last meal."

_That_ was a good one.

"Can we have this conversation _later_?" Wayland questioned, his voice just as strained as Nyx's then. "I was hoping that you might stay after this to watch _Phantom of the Opera_ with me. It's playing on public television tonight."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Tyr can explain."

Mere moments later the dysfunctional couple entered the room. Nyx looked exactly like what one might expect from a witch. Her wrists were covered in a jumble of bangles that jingled as she walked, she had a ring on each finger, and she wore several small amulets around her neck.

There was no way in hell that someone who looked _younger _than Emma had been in a relationship with someone sixteen years ago. Then again, Killian looked _maybe_ thirty and he was actually a couple decades older than that.

"Tyr, it's a pleasure to see you again," Nyx said with a fake smile, her hands on her hips as she looked between him and Emma. "You going to introduce me to our new friend or is this one of _those_ situations?"

"It's Emma." She said before Tyr could say anything. She didn't want to know if it was one of _those_ situations. Emma rose to her feet, extending her hand towards the woman. _Makes friends_.

"Pleasure to meet you Emma." Nyx said grandly, her accent – Italian? – was more noticeable now that she wasn't stridently shouting at Wayland. "What are your plans for her Tyr? You know where I draw the line. If your plans are to make her some fucktoy of yours, I'm going to leave and hope I can catch the bows. Sacrifice, rituals, possession. But _that_… No."

Tyr waved his hand dismissively, even though it didn't work to silence her rambling. "_That_ is not the plan for her." He flashed Emma a toothy grin that set her on edge. A look that said that had probably crossed his mind at least once. She knew that look. "She's a Huldra."

"You're shitting me!" Nyx clapped her hands together. "I thought that breed died out _long _ago." She looked to Emma then, her head cocked to one side. "What do you plan on doing with her?"

"Not with her here." Tyr said lowly before looking towards the horseman. "Wayland, can you take our guest upstairs? No windows please. I don't want her trying to escape."

"You're not going to succeed." Emma gritted out, keeping her eyes fixed on Tyr as Wayland took hold of her arm, forcing her out of the room.

"I can _walk_." Emma insisted, wrenching her arm out of his vice like grip.

"I'm sure you can, but I'm not in the mood for Tyr to ride my ass." Wayland remarked, keeping close behind her as they moved through the house, towards a staircase that Emma hadn't noticed when they first entered.

"Who knew that the Headless Horseman was _whipped_?" Emma mused, glancing back over her shoulder at him, her brows rising upwards. Could she get a rise out of this man? He had such a gaunt expression that she had to wonder if he _ever _looked happy or amused. "By a scorned god and a witch at that."

"I am _not_ whipped." Wayland huffed, crossing his arms across his chest. "They're friends. Friends help each other."

She rolled her eyes. "Keep telling yourself that buddy. Pretty sure the witch would sooner have you dead than call you a _friend_."

"We have a special relationship." He told her, eyes focused ahead of him, ignoring her gaze. "She wouldn't be willing to help otherwise."

"Does she _really _want to help?" Emma questioned as they climbed the stairs.

Wayland sighed heavily. "If it gets Tyr out of the picture, I think we're both more than willing to do what we have to."

"Do you even know what he has planned for me?" There was a part of her that _didn't_ want to know what was happening. But at the same time it was better to be prepared. Right?

"To use you to kill the wolves." Wayland pinched the bridge of his nose. "And _finally_ Odin will welcome him back and he'll get the fuck out of our lives." He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "You're the means to an end."

"Aside from biting his hand off, what have the wolves ever done to Fenrir?"

"They _exist_." He said, an exasperated slant in his words. "He was meant to be a guardian of sorts and he failed. Quite epically in fact. He was meant to keep Fenrir under control. There was never meant to be a line of werewolves." The man turned to face Emma then, his arms crossed across his chest. "You don't understand this world."

"You're right. I _don't_." Emma said shortly. "I got foist into this _against_ my will. Now someone is trying to use me to _kill_ an entire race of people. Starting with someone who… could mean the world to me."

"Is all of this meant to inspire me to help you? Because it's not working."

Emma's jaw set hard, eyes red with frustration. "I'd say got to Hell, but I think you've already been."

"Get in the room." Wayland snarled out, shoving her backwards, into a room that hadn't even been there to begin with.

"What the hell?" Emma kept herself from falling as she stumbled into the dimly lit space. Shadows on the walls seemed to give way to what had once been windows. But there was nothing there now. The room, in and of itself, hadn't even been there until he was pushing her into it.

"The enchantment's not just for my face." Wayland said with a twisted smirk on his lips. "Nyx will be up here to see you soon enough. Make yourself at home."

The door slammed shut behind him and the doorknob vanished before her eyes.

She was _trapped_. There was no way out of this hell.

It reminded her of her childhood.

One particularly bad foster home she'd been part of. Sick, corrupted people, preying on a faulty system to get _money_ to kick around a bunch of kids that had already been kicked to the lowest rungs of society. She had been seven, maybe eight…

Those were memories she'd long since repressed. Desperately trying to forget what it had felt like to be confined. Trapped. That was one conversation that she _had_ had with her friend Mary Margaret. One of those impromptu friend therapy sessions, where Mary Margaret tried to dissect what it was that had made Emma disinterested in long term relationships – romantically or otherwise.

Because she felt trapped. Tied down. She'd moved around more times than she could count on both hands. _Freedom_. That was what she wanted. She didn't want to be ensnared in a relationship where she'd get stuck in one place.

Boston was the longest she'd stayed in one place.

It was that foster home. The _time-out room_. The dark, scary, cramped closet they shoved her into when she didn't do exactly what they wanted her to.

Emma had _resisted all the way_.

She remembered the night, sitting on the sofa in Mary Margaret's apartment. Bawling her eyes out because the stupidest thing had brought it all rushing back. A _book club_. Of all things. Another one of Mary Margaret's attempts to get her to make friends. But the book of choice had been _Jane Eyre_ and the passages the group had honed in on had been the red room.

Just a scared little girl who couldn't understand how everything she did was wrong. How her entire existence had been so wrong that _no one _had wanted her. Not even her own parents.

Now it made sense. If she was truly the _last_ Huldra out there in the world, then her mother was long dead and… giving her up had probably been an attempt to save her from whatever fate her predecessors had met.

Killian didn't make her feel trapped. True, it hadn't been that long since they'd met, but… It doesn't really take that long to figure out if you _really_ like someone or not. She had run at first, because she was terrified of the fact that she _hadn't_ felt trapped. She hadn't felt unwanted or lost.

But there she sat in near darkness. _Waiting_. Waiting to be used to kill him.

What good was she _really_? Her blood could kill. Was that all that a Huldra was good for? To kill the wolves because Fenrir had been disinterested in the first one?

Why couldn't Killian have just been like the rest? Why couldn't he have just cut and run when he had the chance?

Emma didn't know how long she had been sitting alone in the poorly lit room before the door was opened and Nyx entered the room with Tyr right behind her, looming like a shadow that blocked what little natural light spilled in from the hallway.

"It's time." Tyr announced as he stepped into the room.

"Time for what exactly?" Emma questioned, rising to her feet, crossing her arms across her chest as the god and the witch approached her. The last thing she was going to do was take this laying down.

Nyx approached her and snatched up her hand. The witch's dark eyes snapped to meet hers as she ran her thumbs along the lines in her palm. "I don't play against the fates Tyr." She arched a brow as she looked down at Emma's hand, taking her thumb between her own thumb and forefinger "Your will is great."

"What does that mean?"

"_Shh_." Nyx warned her. "Your heart is strong. But it wasn't always."

Emma's brows knit together as she watched the witch studying her hand. Could her hand really tell her all of this? Why shouldn't she believe in _that_

"It's so rare to see head and heart so closely entwined." Nyx muttered to herself as she traced the lines on her palm. "Tyr, there is every chance that this spell will not work."

"Why?"

"Because her head and her heart are nearly entwined at this point in her life, her will is strong, stronger than my magic I fear."

"You said you could do this Nyx."

Nyx dropped Emma's hand and turned to face Tyr, her chin jutting upwards with a haughty look. "I said that I could do the spell, but I didn't say that it would _work_. I can sit here and chant till I'm blue in the face, but if her will is stronger –"

Tyr's fingers curled into a fist at his side, "Don't test my patience Nyx. I'm not Wayland. I'm not going to put up with your bullshit excuses till Ragnarok. This _will_ work."

Nyx held her hands up in defense, "I don't do threats. You might get off on intimidating people but that doesn't work with me."

Emma had to admire Nyx for that, because she wasn't much taller than herself and Tyr was like a giant looming above them. He hadn't seemed as large in the cemetery, but he hadn't shown the full extent of himself to her then either.

Tyr's jaw ticked as he glared down at the woman, before he looked past her at Emma. "Do what you can. If I can't have all of them dead, I want _him _dead before tomorrow."

"They're probably already gone." Emma stated. "With everything that's going on with Killian, they'll _leave_ Sleepy Hollow."

"I doubt it. Half of that pack wants him dead as badly as I do."

"_Why_?"

"Because he's wiled away the decades as dead weight to that pack. Edward made sure of that." Tyr smirked wickedly then. "Edward was always meant to die, in my book at least. I must thank you on that front. I'd pardoned him, so long as he helped me. He was supposed to kill the bastard when he wasn't even a pup yet. Instead he fucked up and I should have killed them both. But there was talk that there were _no_ Huldras. There was no chance."

"No chance for _what_?" Emma pressed.

Tyr opened his mouth to speak, but Nyx cleared her throat. "Alright evil genius, how about you stop soliloquizing about your plans." She lifted her hand the light in the room began to burn brighter, flooding the room with white light.

Emma shielded her eyes, clenching them together until the light no longer shone through her eyelids. The room was altered completely. In fact, it wasn't even a room now. The three of them stood in the middle of a dense forest, with threes that looked ancient towering above them.

"What the hell." Emma muttered to herself as she took in her surroundings.

"I do my best magic in the forest." Nyx gave as an explanation. "And Wayland can't interrupt us here."

"You don't have to do this." Emma insisted, taking a step backwards as the witch approached her.

Tyr countered, stepping towards her. "_Yes_ she does."

"I do." Nyx conceded. "I have to try, at least." She shot Tyr a look. "If this doesn't work you'll leave Wayland and I out of this from here on out. We want our peace."

"Neither of you will ever have peace." Tyr said scathingly.

"That's beside the point." Nyx waved her hand.

"I won't kill him. I won't kill any of them." Emma's voice was strained, fear pumping through her. Her instinct was to run, but she knew that this world she was standing in wasn't real. It was a creation of the house. No wonder Tyr had brought her to Wayland. It was like entering a funhouse. Nothing was what it appeared to be.

"We'll have to see what we can about that will." Nyx said, her voice strangely melodic as she approached her. She couldn't run. It was physically impossible. The witch took ahold of Emma's other hand, turning her palm upwards as she took the bandage away from the wound she'd acquired at Lyndhurst.

"_Please_ don't do this."

Nyx pressed against the cut, drawing blood to the surface again. Emma grimaced at the pain, her eyes clenching closed as she tried in vain to fight through whatever bonds were keeping her stationary.

She drew an empty vial from her pocket, catching droplets of blood as they formed in her palm. "_Hodie, tuo. Ita obediemus et tibi. Mens mea hodie. Audies verba loquor. Ore clauso, tua verba mea._" She chanted, keeping her gaze down as the words slid past her lips in an enchanting way. Emma could feel the words as they took root in her bones.

"Please." Emma gritted out, willing the woman to spare her. While the words meant nothing to her, as archaic as the words she'd heard when she slayed Edward, she knew – she could _feel_ – the effect of them as they sought to strip her of her free will.

She was stronger. She had to be. How could someone, born of a line of powerful, fierce, dangerous, women be unable to resist the control of magic?

"_Tu non occidere_."

Emma swore she could hear the words in English. _You will not kill._

"It is done." Nyx said, releasing Emma's hand and placing a small cork in the top of the vial. "I don't know how long it will last, but… She has been commanded to kill them." She held Emma's gaze for a moment longer before she looked towards Tyr. "Here is the blood you asked for. Do with it what you will."

With her blood Tyr would be able to kill the wolves. Even if Nyx hadn't_ truly_ commanded her to destroy them, the god had the ability to do it now. Still, Emma didn't know why Nyx had taken the chance. She had seemed so determined to do what had to be done to get Tyr out of her life, yet she'd spared Emma.

"Thank you Nyx." Tyr studied the vial of blood before tucking it away in his pocket. "Now _Emma_," He turned his attention to her, a sinister smile curving his lips upwards. "I want you to find Killian and his little pack and make yourself at home among them. And then _kill _them."

The forest flooded with light, blinding Emma momentarily before it faded back into the dark room they had been in before. Nyx hadn't full spared her it seemed. Her limbs felt propelled to move against her will and her mouth was dry with words that refused to pass her lips.

She wouldn't be able to warn them.

Emma felt tears prick her eyes as she walked past Tyr and Nyx, made her way down the seemingly never-ending corridor, and descended the steps towards the front door which she found conveniently opened. Her fingers reached for the keys that she'd tucked into her pocket before, unlocking her car, and slipping inside.

She was no more than a vehicle herself, piloted by someone who sought to bring the genocide of an entire species. She was an outsider in her own body. Nyx might have made it so she wouldn't kill them, but there was no way to protect them from Tyr if she _failed_. Her hands would be blood stained.

* * *

><p>Killian couldn't go through with it. He understood the ramifications of going against the pack's decision. Edric had made it clear that by staying away from Emma permanently, he would be sparing her from the pack taking revenge on Edward's death.<p>

But was it _really_ sparing her in the end?

She carried as much baggage as he did and almost all of it had to do with being unwanted. What was she thinking right now? Did she believe that his pack had taken their anger out on him? Did she think he was dead? Or that he'd abandoned her like she'd been abandoned in the past.

His arrest would have been plastered across every flat surface and flashed across every electronic screen in town. His subsequent escape would have been more fodder for the news starved reporters that had fed on every detail of his case. Emma would have known.

Was it greed that made him feel _empty_ without her? She was better off somewhere else, safe from his pack and the creatures that lurked in the dark, ready to feed on someone else's bad day. He had actually believed that he had a chance for happiness.

The pack wasn't his home. The pack was made up of a myriad of misfits, but all of them had been blessed with decades and centuries of time with their mates. He was a misfit with no one. Deep down he'd always wondered if Edward had had a hand in Milah's death. She wasn't his mate, it was never as fulfilling as he'd longed for it to be, but for a short period of time he'd _belonged_.

It wasn't until Emma that he'd realized what it felt like to _have_ his mate in his arms. Her fingers entwined with his. It was the little things. A short moment in a long life when he'd finally felt at home.

Killian hoped that she'd felt that too. _Home_. Something that both of them seemed to have been missing out on. How was he supposed to deny them both of a home with each other? It wouldn't be with his pack, he'd have to leave, and in all honesty it was for the best. They could go back to where she came from and figure it out from there.

He rose from the floor, stretching out his arms above his head as he strode towards the door across the room from him. On the outside of the door sat Callum and Duncan, fully entranced by the game they were playing. They didn't even realize he'd opened the door until he was stepping past them.

"Oy!" Callum shouted, clapping his hands together. "Where do you think you're going mate?" He scrambled to his feet, before extending a hand to help Duncan stand up as well.

"We were told to stay here and keep you in your room."

"I need to see Edric." Killian said firmly, his arms crossed across his chest.

"He's with Kyn-" Duncan started to say before Callum was elbowing him in the ribs. "You need to get back in your room."

Killian rolled his eyes at them. "I'd _really _prefer to not have to rely on violence to solve this issue. I just want to talk with Edric."

Duncan stepped in front of the lankier werewolf, "How about you just step right back in there and Cal will run and get him for you."

"No." Killian retorted firmly, arching a brow upwards in a sort of challenge. "Now, if you'll excuse me." He started to step past the pair of men, but they countered his movement, blocking his path again. "Let me through."

"We can't do that. Edric said that you have to stay here. It's for your own good." Callum insisted, keeping himself in between Killian and the hallway.

"It is _not_ for my own good." Killian growled out, his jaw setting hard as he looked between the two men. "I'm leaving and I want to tell Edric first."

"I thought you were a smarter lad than that Killian. You can't _leave_." Duncan said, his own arms crossed across his chest. "He's doing all that he can for you Killian. Trust him."

"I don't trust _anyone_." Killian snarled out. "I'm leaving and I'm going to find my mate. I want to be free of the lot of you."

Duncan's brows shot upwards. "You're not going to find her."

Fear lanced through him and Killian lashed out, grabbing the ginger bearded werewolf by the throat. "Where _is _she?" He gritted out, teeth clenched tightly together, his entire body rigid with anger as it coiled up within him.

"She's _gone_." Duncan gasped out, pawing at Killian's hand, trying to pry his hold from his windpipe. "She left."

Killian was only vaguely aware of the fact that Callum wasn't trying to deter him from killing Duncan over this. But his focus was set on the man who was desperately trying to catch a breath. "What did you do to her?"

"_Nothing_."

Edric.

With a deep breath Killian released the man's throat, taking a step backwards as Duncan sank to his knees, trying to catch his breath. His eyes flickered hostilely towards Edric, his own chest heaving as he caught shallow breaths. "If you did nothing to her, then where is she Edric? Why is she _gone_?"

"Because she left." He gave as a simple reply, unfazed by Killian's hostile stance. "We had members of the pack attempt to seek her out after you had been captured by the police force. They couldn't find her. She's _gone_ Killian. She's not coming back."

Kyna cleared her throat as she approached the scene of the fray. "It would appear that you're wrong Edric."

"_What_?"

"A car just arrived on the property. Is a yellow bug of any significance to you?"

Killian's eyes lit with pure unadulterated joy in that moment. "_Emma_." He turned to face Edric, a smile spreading over his features as though everything that had just transpired in the hallway didn't matter. "I knew she wouldn't just leave."

Edric's gaze drifted towards his wife who wore the same look of apprehension that he did. But none of that mattered to Killian, not now. Through all of this he had just wanted _her_ to be by his side again.

He had just wanted to be _home_.


	13. Chapter 13

Emma's heart was pounding rapidly in her chest as she approached the front door of Lyndhurst. The manor was bathed in the eerie blue light of moon above her, enveloped in shadows and darkness where the light didn't touch. She was nothing more than a _Trojan Horse. _She couldn't even warn them.

Before Emma's knuckles could even brush against the door it swung open. _Killian_. There was a rush of joy that not even the weight of the situation could push down.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again." Killian said as he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her against him.

"Neither did I." Emma whispered, pressing her face into the crook of his neck, breathing him in. The words stuck in the back of her throat. She wanted to tell him to run. That it wasn't safe for him and the pack to stay here. That it was better if this was their last good-bye. But those words wouldn't come.

"Edric – one of the wolves in the pack – told me that the pack saw you leave." Killian explained to her, pressing his lips to temple, her cheek, her neck – wherever it seemed that he could reach. "I'm sorry I didn't come back. I got arrested and the broke me out."

Emma felt a stab of pain in her heart. Had Edric not told him that they'd been with each other before she was taken by Tyr? Had he tried to spare Killian the pain of thinking she'd abandoned him.

She shook her head and cupped his cheeks, staring up into those blue eyes that she had longed to see again. "Why would I leave you?" Emma questioned, wishing she could add that _she wouldn't leave him if she had a choice_. But she hadn't had a choice and the spell restricted her from the right to explain herself. "You need to get inside, before the police see you or something."

"Are they out there?" Killian questioned, his brows pinched together as he stepped further inside of the manor.

"No. But they might come out here looking for you."

Killian's fingers curled around her hand, lacing their fingers together as he shut the door behind them and locked it closed with his freehand. "Hopefully they didn't follow you." He said, squeezing her hand tightly. "I'm glad you're here Emma."

Her smile felt strained, her eyes meeting his briefly before looking away. She fought to say the words, trying to break through the spell that seemed determined to bind her. But she couldn't. "Is it safe?" Emma questioned, giving a wary look towards the library, her own brows knitting together with concern.

"Not exactly," Killian conceded, taking both of her hands in his. "The pack made their decision. They know it was you and they'll spare you if I vow to never go near you again."

Emma opened her mouth to say that she should go then, that they should leave together, but the words never past her lips. She couldn't leave.

"I know." Killian shook his head, taking her speechlessness as shock, rather than the inability to speak. "But I made up my mind. I'm going to break from the pack. You and I, we can leave together and go back to Boston."

Emma smiled at him, her eyes watery with emotion. "That sounds nice." And it _did_. The idea of escaping all of this and just leaving it behind them to start a new life together sounded like the best plan anyone had ever offered her. But, she knew it wouldn't be so simple. She knew there was every chance that this night would end in bloodshed and she couldn't even keep it from happening.

"Doesn't it?" Killian lifted his hand to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing over the rise of her cheekbone. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." She said it too quickly and she wondered if he'd catch that something _was_ wrong. That something was off about her. Because she felt like she wasn't herself. She was in her body, but not at the same time. Like her skin was too loose and someone else had crept inside of her.

"The two of you should come below."

Killian and Emma turned to face Edric who stood with Kyna at his side. Emma's brows knit together as met Edric's look of suspicion. Would he have even assumed that something untoward had happened? Or did he think she just upped and ran.

"We're going to leave." Killian told the pair, his fingers tightening their hold on Emma's hand. "Together."

Emma stared down at the ground. "It's too dangerous to leave now Killian. You run the risk of getting caught. The town's crawling with police. We couldn't even get on the highway without get searched." And he had to stay here for the slaughter.

"She's right." Kyna drawled out, an almost amused look on her face. "I never thought I'd see the day where I said that a Huldra was _right_."

Killian stepped between Killian and the pair of wolves, as though he was afraid that they'd attack her. How wrong he was. He should have been wary of _her_, not them. "If we _have_ to stay, then the pack can't come near her." He warned, his entire body rigid as he addressed Edric and Kyna.

Emma arched a brow as she met Edric's gaze, curious as to why he hadn't clued Killian in about the fact that they'd already crossed paths. "Killian its fine. They're not going to hurt me." She told him, reaching for his hand, trying to soothe him.

His head canted to the side in confusion. "Emma you don't know what they're capable of. Without Edward or a leader at all, the pack's decision is the ruling voice."

"I don't think they ruled for us to never see each other again. Did they Edric?" Emma questioned, meeting the blonde werewolf's eyes from across the room. "Why didn't you tell Killian that you came looking for him this morning?"

Edric's fists curled into balls at his sides. "Because he didn't need to know that you drove off and left us when we were trying to break him out of jail."

Emma opened her mouth, trying once again to explain herself. "I didn't mean to." It was a weak and pathetic excuse for ruining their plan. It hadn't been because she wanted to. She would have _never _left them. But now, words that weren't her own were slipping past her lips, overriding any control she had of herself. "I got scared and I ran. I'm sorry."

Killian's expression looked half betrayed and half confused. "You had been there to get me out of jail?" He looked towards Edric then, his eyes narrowing into an angry glare. "You lied to me?"

"It was for the best." Edric sighed, stepping towards them then. "I didn't know where she'd gone or if she'd ever come back and I didn't want you to suffer the pain of being abandoned." He looked towards his mate for reassurance, before he cleared his throat and spoke with far more seriousness. "In actuality the pack's decision has very little to do with Emma and more to do with the fact that Edward died without a Beta. We want you to be the Alpha Killian."

Killian laughed at the incredulity of the man's words. "You want _me_ to be the Alpha?"

"You may not be a descendent of Fenrir, but… given the fact that you _are_ apparently kin of Odin's your leadership could prove vital for our pack."

The politics of the pack made no sense to Emma. It sounded like a bunch of gibberish that someone had thrown together at two in the morning. And yet, Edric's proclamation had left Killian in complete awe.

"And if I'm the leader of the pack then…" He looked to Emma, brows knitting together in concern. "Emma won't ever be at risk?"

"It would be debatable." Edric explained, his arms crossed across his chest. "She would never _truly_ be your mate. She wouldn't be fully protected, but she'd be safe enough within the pack."

"She would still be a Huldra." Kyna reminded them, her eyes fixed on Emma, as though she could see straight through her. "We would never trust her."

"That's not _true_." Edric corrected, reaching for his mate's hand. "The fact that she's here proves that she's willing to be here for Killian. We can't expect her to just _accept_ all of this with the ease we live with it."

Emma squeezed Killian's hand, urging him to look at her. His blue eyes were marred with confusion, his brows knit together as he searched her eyes. "I'm here now." She said quietly. Her heart ached as she looked up at him. If she were in his shoes, she would have felt betrayed too.

Still she fought to break through the spell that silenced the truth.

Killian nodded his head, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. "I know. That's all that matters." She couldn't even _enjoy_ the comfort he was trying to offer her.

Once this was over she could tell him _everything_. Not just what she'd endured that afternoon, but the realization she had had. The fact that she wanted him in her life. That there was no future without him at her side. If there even was a future for them. Emma couldn't shake the sinking feeling that a future just wasn't in the cards for them.

"I'm still sorry." Emma said quietly to him, her eyes trying to convey the depth of that apology. There was so much more she couldn't say, words that would reveal the plan that had been designed for her, the one her body was enacting while her mind rebelled. Even if she failed, Tyr would arrive with her blood to finish the kill.

These wolves – people who _could_ be her family. People who _were_ Killian's family, even if they hadn't always been there for him. At least he had had them in his life.

Edric cleared his throat, "Sorry to interrupt this moment, but I'm going to need to take Killian from you to speak with the rest of the pack. If we're going to abandon Tarrytown, we should make these decisions tonight and take our leave at dawn. I doubt the police force will be out in droves at that earl of an hour."

Emma opened her mouth to speak, but instead it seemed as though she were hesitating _again_. She clenched her fist at her side, her fingers trembling with the strain of her trying to breakthrough. "You should go Killian, this is your big chance."

"_Our_ big chance." Killian said with a boyish sort of grin. It was the look of a man that had just been offered a _future_. A life of respect instead of being kicked around. While she regretted being the cause of Edward's death, she would never regret the fact that his death brought liberation for the pack and mostly for Killian.

Emma released Killian's hand, lifting both of hers to cup his cheek as she leaned up to kiss him. "Yes _our_ big chance." She pressed her forehead against his. "How does taking the pack to Boston sound?"

Killian laughed, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Like a bloody fine idea, love. I'll be sure to make that suggestion." He kissed her again, it was brief but heated all the same.

"Kyna will stay with you while I take Killian in to see the pack." Edric explained, brushing his hand over his mate's back. "Be kind to her. She's been through a lot these past few days."

"Of course I will," Kyna smiled at the blonde werewolf, before he stepped past her to leave with Killian. "It's right this way." She said to Emma, her voice a little more clipped now that Edric was away from them.

The pair of women remained silent as Kyna led them down into the hidden basement beneath the manor. It was dimly lit in the corridor that had been carved out of the stony ground, a mixture of low watt electric lights and candles lit the space.

It was Emma who broke the silence. The silence made the space feel all the more confining. It wasn't like the room she'd been put in back at the house, in fact the network of hallways and rooms seemed _massive_ in size, but something about the stone made it feel like a tomb to her.

"I get the impression that you don't like Huldra's very much."

Kyna shot her a sideways look, "Aren't you clever." She remarked, as she led Emma into a room that was laid out like a family room. They had _everything_ down here. Like a bomb shelter of sorts.

Emma crossed her arms across her chest, her lips drawn into a thin line as she met Kyna's dark eyes. "If they truly want Killian to be their pack leader, you do realize I won't be going anywhere, don't you?"

"Yes, unfortunately I have come to that realization." Kyna said harshly, spinning on her heels to face her. "Edric and I didn't believe you'd show your face again after high tailing it today. I thought I wouldn't have to share space with one of your kind _ever_ again."

"_Again_?" Emma questioned in confusion, her brows furrowing as she studied the woman's pained expression. "Whatever Huldras you knew in the past, I'm not like them."

"They would have been the firs to say that they _weren't_ like the rest of their kind." Kyna shot back. "Good people don't have to keep making sure people know that they're good."

Emma was taken aback by her words. There was truth in them too. How many people had she had fake dates with to catch their lying asses and they always made sure she knew how _nice_ they were, how they weren't like other guys. Was the same to be said in this situation? Or was it just a remark to disarm her?

Emma balked at that. "But I'm _not_. Before I came here, the worst thing I _ever_ did was be a thief and get caught up in a mess that got me put in jail. That doesn't make me a _bad _person." But she knew how one bad experience could sour everything that came after. "I'm so-"

Kyna bristled, "Don't even think about _apologizing_ for their sins. Because even if they came crawling back from the grave and begged for my forgiveness, they wouldn't get it."

Why the hell had Edric left them together? Was it some sort of sick payback for bailing? If it was, it was working perfectly. Emma shrank into herself, the hostility that was pouring off of Kyna making her feel sick.

Or maybe it was the fight going on inside of her. Her willpower trying to break through the walls the spell had built up.

If they escaped this unharmed, there was no doubt in her mind that Kyna would get them to turn on her. She seemed to expect Emma to be in the wrong. Her eyes judging her without even _knowing_ her. Edric had given in to trusting her a hell of a lot quicker than she was.

"Let's try this again," Emma said carefully as she moved towards the sofa, putting distance between herself and the werewolf. "I'm Emma and _you_ are?"

The woman narrowed her eyes, "Kyna. Pleasure to meet you." Her words were still stilted, but at least she was humoring Emma.

"So when did you and Edric meet?"

"A _very_ long time ago," Kyna told her as she moved to perch on the arm of the chair across from her. "After Huldras killed my family."

Emma's heart dropped. "_Oh_." She didn't know if she should press, but she couldn't help but be curious. "Your parents?"

She shook her head, looking away. "My mate and my child." Emma opened her mouth to question further, but Kyna cut her off. "I had a mate before Edric. It's uncommon, but it can occur. I'm lucky that it did in my case, otherwise… I'd probably be dead."

"I know what it's like to lose a child," Emma started carefully. "I miscarried when I was younger and I know that's _nothing_ like having your child murdered, but… I know loss."

Kyna's expression softened at Emma's heartfelt confession. "It's probably for the best, in the scheme of things." She offered. "There's a reason you're the last of your kind."

Emma smiled sadly, "I'm sure that's why my own parents left me on the side of a road." She shook her head. Why hadn't they taken her to a hospital or somewhere safe? Anything could have happened to her that night and it was a damn miracle she was still alive.

"Maybe they were being pursued and that was as far as they could get without fearing they'd be caught." Kyna offered as an explanation.

She gave the werewolf a wary look, "You're not offering that up because of firsthand knowledge are you?"

Kyna quickly shook her head. "No. _No._ My Huldra killing days ended long before you were even thought of. Edric calmed me down, pulled me out of my revenge, and my own way path to death." She met Emma's eyes then. "You've done the same for Killian, you know. I get what Edric said to me earlier. I've never seen Killian so happy."

"Even though he should probably be pissed off at me for leaving." Emma sighed, sinking back into the sofa, tilting her head backwards to look up at the stone ceiling above her. "This is probably not the sort of question I should be asking, but… what am I missing out on, not being able to be his mate?"

Kyna chuckled, "Well, I don't know if it's the same for everyone, but… _really_ incredible sex. I don't know if you and Killian can feel each other–"

"Oh we can."

"Then you're missing out on _really _fantastic sex. Everything is like ten times more with that bond." Kyna brushed her dark hair behind her shoulders with soft chuckle. "Different pairs sometimes get other quirks. Like Edric and I can pretty much tap into each other's minds whenever we want. Which is incredibly helpful if there's problems."

Emma smiled sadly as Kyna explained the bond to her. It sounded like the most amazing thing two people could share with each other. Like two people who were truly one with each other. Something she was _never _going to get to experience with Killian because she was a ticking time bomb.

"Speaking of which, they're nearly done with the meeting."

"And?"

Kyna frowned, "They want him to be their Alpha."

"That's amazing. Why are you frowning?"

"Because there's a _but_ to that. After Edward's tyranny, they don't want another Alpha without a mate." She gave Emma a look. "We had several altercations because of that fact."

"Killian would _never_ do something like that." Emma could read between those lines. Edward had exuded that sort of creepy behavior. "But I'll _be_ here. I will be here, won't I?"

"Yes, they will let you stay, because you're his mate, but… we're without an Alpha still."

"Why can't you and Edric take over?" Emma suggested, nervously wringing her hands. They weren't going to make a decision to _leave_ if they didn't have an Alpha.

"Calm down, you're going to make yourself sick acting like that." Kyna chastised her. "Edric has no desire to lead the pack. He tried that once before. We'll figure something out."

Emma opened her mouth to ask if they were going to _leave_, but the words vanished before they reached the air and she ended up stifling a yawn instead of speaking. That was getting _really_ old. Why couldn't she fight it? Nyx hadn't even thought it would work at all, yet she couldn't fight her way through that wall.

"Sorry, it's just been a really stressful day." Emma replied, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Don't apologize. I'm sure this entire thing is like a culture shock to you." Kyna smiled then, though it still didn't reach her eyes fully. "You just need some alone time with Killian."

Emma felt her cheeks go a little red at that. She couldn't tell if Kyna was suggesting _alone_ time with Killian or just, regular old, sit around and talk alone time. The first was definitely not happening while she felt like she wasn't even in her own body.

"That sounds like a great idea," Emma laughed, more than a little embarrassed – and she _had_ just asked about the whole mate bond thing. "I'm guessing one of those rooms out there is a bedroom?"

"_Most_ of them are. This is meant to keep the pack off the grid if there's trouble." Kyna explained. "Our pack is quite large, we need all this room."

"How large is _large_?"

"Fifty-eight."

"_Damn_." Emma's eyes widened. There was no way that Tyr could possibly kill _all_ of them with the blood Nyx had taken from her. A little bit might have killed Edward, but there wouldn't be enough to go around the whole pack. Someone would escape and live to tell the tale.

"What are we damning?" Killian questioned as he strode into the room with Edric at his side. Emma couldn't help but picture him as the pack leader, he was proud and tall and he had that look of commanding authority in his eyes. Even though she knew he could be a complete idiot when he wasn't putting on those airs.

Emma's eyes lit up as she met his eyes. "I was damning the fact that the pack is so _huge_. You didn't tell me."

Killian shrugged his shoulders as he moved to sit on the sofa beside her. "Well, I mean, that was fifty-eight people who acted like I was the shit people drudge out of swamps." He reached for her hand and laced their fingers together. "Now I'm kinda in the running to be their pack leader."

"Kyna told me." Emma said, giving the woman a sideways look. "I _know_."

"It wasn't a _no_, it was just… not right now." Killian sighed. "It doesn't matter anyways, because they're actually talking to me like I'm one of them." He brought her knuckles up to his lips. "I've finally got all my ducks in a row."

Emma scrunched up her nose, "I think you mean _swans_." She teased him, settling in close to him. Slowly she could feel something settling within her. The words still refused to come, but the force felt like less. Either that, or her will was starting to give up completely.

Killian chuckled, "Aye. All my _swans_ in a row." He turned to look at Edric and Kyna. "Thank you both. I owe you an apology Edric, because I was kinda an asshole with you about all of this."

Edric shook his head, "I shouldn't have lied to you to begin with."

"It's all water under the bridge now, mate." Killian grinned, tucking his arm behind his head as he leaned back against the sofa. "And tell Duncan I'm sorry."

"He'll be good as new in a few hours."

"Did you hurt someone Killian?" Emma questioned with a laugh. "Was it the ginger one?"

Killian grinned at her, "Aye, it was. I kinda choked him. But, Edric's right, he'll be good as new before dawn."

Emma bit her lip, "Because he has a mate, right?"

He nodded slowly, squeezing her hand. "Exactly right, love."

"If you need us, we'll be down the hall." Kyna said, giving Edric a pointed look as she took hold of his hand and led him out of the room. Emma could hear her say something about the two of them needing to have some privacy while they talked.

"I'm sorry that the fates' are bitches and made it so we can't have _that_." Emma said quietly, leaning her head to rest against his shoulder. "It's my fault you can't be Alpha."

Killian hushed her, "That's not true. That's also not the _most_ important thing to me." He tilted his head and kissed her cheek. "I have you now."

Emma smiled, "Oh you think you have me, huh?" She teased, turning to look at him, her eyes alight with adoration for the blue-eyed man sitting beside her. _Love_. But she wouldn't say that out loud. Love always had a way of feeling like something final and not in a good way.

"Is something wrong?" Killian question, a brow arching upwards as he searched her eyes.

Emma opened her mouth to assure him that nothing was wrong, when she caught the scent of sulfur on the air.

_Wayland_.

No, no, no, no.

This wasn't right. Why was he here?

"Killian we have to go." Emma had half expected for the words to stick in her throat, but they came out loud and clear. The_ spell_. It had ended. "We have to go _now_." She pushed herself up off the sofa, pulling him up with her.

"What's wrong?" Killian questioned, brows furrowing together as he met her concerned gaze.

Now she could tell him everything. "I didn't leave before because I _wanted_ to. I left because Tyr was there. Tyr forced me to leave you behind and go somewhere out in the middle of nowhere." Emma explained to him, "He wanted me to kill you."

"_Emma_?" Killian's eyes were flecked with confusion and betrayal again, his lips pressed into a thin line as he studied her.

Emma swallowed thickly, "There was this witch and she cast this spell that was supposed to make me come here and kill you all. But she didn't follow through with that part of the plan. Instead, I just couldn't tell you what was going to happen. Tyr… He has my _blood_."

Killian squeezed her hand tightly, the betrayal completely gone from his expression now as concern settled over his features, "Did he hurt you?"

"No. I'm fine." Emma promised him, "But we have to leave _now_." The smell was growing stronger and now Killian seemed to have noticed the thick scent of rotting eggs that was filling the space.

"What the hell is that?" He questioned, his nose scrunching in disgust.

"Headless Horseman." Emma told him as he curled his fingers around her hand and led them out of the room they were in, out into the corridor which led towards where Edric and Kyna had retreated to.

"I don't remember him being so pungent." Killian remarked, "Wait – was he there too?"

"Yes."

"_Damn_. Edward really was working with them. He was friends with Wayland." Killian gave Emma a sideways look as he knocked at the door, before entering without a reply from the other side. "Edric, Kyna – we need to get the pack out _now_."

"What's wrong?" Kyna questioned, all but leaping off of the bed, body rigid as she eyed the pair of them. There was suspicion in her eyes as she looked towards Emma.

"I don't have time to explain everything. Just know that if we don't move out now, there won't be a pack for Killian to lead tomorrow." Emma gave in lieu of giving a full explanation. There wasn't time. If Wayland was taunting them, there was every chance that Tyr was on his way, and Nyx too – if she wasn't playing nice now.

Edric didn't hesitate the way his mate then, he moved past Killian and Emma for the doorway, ready to warn the pack, only to have Wayland appear before him.

"Hello old friends," Wayland remarked with a sinister grin which stretched his thin lips over his etched teeth.

"We were_ never_ friends." Edric remarked, "You were an unwanted guest that our Alpha wanted around."

Wayland chuckled before his gaze snapped upwards to where Killian and Emma stood. "You're right, I _was_ an unwanted guest – just like that one over there. Edward wanted him dead a _very_ long time ago… but he never thought he'd truly pose any threat. Not until _she _entered the pictured. Now with Edward gone there's no one stopping me from ending this once and for all."

Emma snorted, "What was that Nyx said about you _bad guys_ and your soliloquys?"

"This is_ her _fault! Nyx was a _damn fool_ for ruining that spell." Wayland gritted out through his rotted teeth. "We'll never be free from Tyr if we don't follow through with this." He vanished from in front of Edric, only to appear mere inches in front of Killian.

"_No_! Wayland. Don't do this." Emma knew what was coming. The horseman wasn't going to back down. "_Please_ don't do this."

"It's the only way." The horseman said, his voice resigned, his eyes empty.

Time seemed to slow down as Wayland lunged forward and drove his blade upwards into Killian's chest. Killian cried out in pain as the blade slicked through his chest, wedging between his ribs.

It was done.

Wayland vanished from the room, but not without issuing some threat of Tyr arriving before sunrise that sounded distant and fuzzy to Emma's ears.

Emma hadn't been able to free herself from the spell in time. She might have not been the hand that dwelt the blow, but it was his blood on her hands as she sank to the ground beside him.

"_Killian_." Her eyes burned and her voice cracked as his name passed her lips. Her lashes fluttered as she tried not to cry. There was _so_ much blood. The floor darkened beneath him as it spilled from his body. She was going to lose him.


	14. Chapter 14

"_Emma_." Killian choked on her name, his eyelids heavy as he tried to focus on her. "Oh gods." His breathing was labored, his words strained. "I can't see. Emma… I can't see."

"It's going to be okay Killian." Emma promised, looking towards Edric who only solemnly shook his head. "You're going to make it." Her own voice was strained, hopeless and afraid.

Killian gasped for air, fingers fumbling with the blade that protruded from between his ribs.

Her hands were stained with his blood, trembling, fingers brushing over his paling cheek. "No. No. Don't do that. Keep it in." Somewhere along the way some stupid late night ER show had taught her that.

"I'm _dying_." He curled his fingers around her arm, his hold was incredibly weak, barely possessing the strength she'd felt from him before.

"You can't die Killian. You have to stay with me." Emma tasted the copper tang of blood on her tongue. She'd bitten her lip so hard she'd made it bleed. Tears ran down her face, mixing with the blood that formed at her lip. "_Please_ stay with me."

Killian let out a strangled sound of pain, teeth gritting together as he tried to silence the sound. "Kiss me." He whispered, lifting his hand to touch her face, before it dropped back to his chest. He didn't even have the strength to hold it up.

She was going to lose him.

"I can't. It'll kill you." Emma shook her head, looking towards Edric again, looking for _answers _from someone. He and Kyna stood together. _Watching_. "Please do something."

"There's nothing to be done Emma." Edric said quietly.

"Please Emma." Killian grimaced as he tried to lean up, his eyes blurred with tears as he focused on her lips.

"I'm sorry." Emma stroked his cheek. "Edric, Kyna… Can we be alone?" If this was what he wanted… She wanted to be alone with him. Kyna and Edric left the room, but Emma barely even noticed them leave, her attention fixed on the man in her arms. "I'm so sorry Killian."

"It's not your fault." Killian told her, leaning into her touch. "One last kiss." His face was etched with pain and she knew he was fighting to hold on. He was so pale. So weak. Half the man he was before. There was no fight left him. No spark. The light was fading from him. His bright blue eyes were dull and grey.

Just minutes ago he'd been full of that cocky attitude she'd come to _love_.

"I love you." Emma whispered. "I'm so sorry." She cupped his cheek, stroking his cheek gently. "I love you." She knew those words were too soon to say, but it was already too late.

Killian grimaced, "I know."

Emma leaned down and pressed her lips to his, knowing what it would do.

I love you.

Goodbye.

They'd always been the same to her.

The kiss lingered for mere seconds before she felt him still beneath her touch. She pulled back, covering her lips, looking away as the gravity of it all hit her. A fatal kiss.

The silence was _deafening_. It felt like the world was caving in on her.

They had overcome _so_ much, only to be robbed of everything in an instant. She should have known better than to hope, to dream, to _plan_ for a future that she was never afforded.

Emma curled her knees into her chest, arms curling around her legs as she sobbed. The weight of everything came crashing down on her. She'd lost _part_ of her. A part that she'd never find again. She'd return to Boston a ghost of her former self. Losing Killian… She couldn't come back from it.

"_Em_…" A choking sob suddenly broke through the silence.

Her eyes snapped open, turning to look at the body that lay beside her.

He coughed, gagging, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

"Killian!" Emma stared in awe at him. He still looked like shit, but he was still _alive_. "Oh my God. Killian." She moved to his side, leaning over him, stroking his cheek. "You're not dead."

Killian grimaced. "Not yet." The blade was still lodged in his chest, the life still flowing from his body. "You sure that's really _your_ blood on your lips?"

Emma gave a tear choked laugh at the sarcasm in his voice. Weak though it was, it felt like a glimmer of hope. "Yes. I'm _very_ sure." She shook her head, looking down at him. "That should have killed you."

The realization dawned on them both.

"You can't kill me." Killian blinked rapidly, shifting and shouting out in pain as he tried to sit up.

"Stop moving." Emma urged him, but he didn't listen to her.

He curled his fingers around the hilt of the blade, pulling it free from his chest with another cry of agony. "This has to work."

Emma took the blade from his hand, sitting it aside, brows knit in confusion. "What are you doing?"

Killian pressed one hand to where he had been pierced, his other blood stained hand lifting to cup her cheek, "I'm going to die Emma. You might not be able to kill me with your blood. But without a _mate_, I will die." He clenched his teeth together, pain marring his handsome features as he sat up a little more.

"If my blood doesn't kill you… you can…" Emma wrapped her arm around him, trying to keep him sitting upright the way he wanted to. She didn't want him to be in pain like this. She could feel it. Pouring off his skin. Pain far more agonizing than she'd ever imagined that pain could be.

He was _sinking_ into that pain.

_Drowning_.

Dying.

Killian nodded, his eyelids heavy again as he exerted what little energy he had left in him to try to push her leather jacket off of her. "You're sure you want to bind yourself to me?"

"_Yes_." Emma swore to him, helping him rid her of the jacket. "What do I have to do?" Somehow she'd imagined this ritual as something done in the heat of sex, in a flurry of passion and desire – not when life was slipping away from him.

Killian's fingers traced over the curve of her shoulder, pushing the neck of her shirt aside to reveal her skin to him. He dragged his fingers upwards, cupping her cheek briefly before he brushed his thumb over her lips. "You have to want this. It can't be because you want to save me." His brows knit together, pale eyes searching hers, looking for her to want out of it now. "It's okay."

Emma shook her head. "No. I _want_ to do this. I want you in my life. I can't lose you." Her eyes held his. "Tell me what I have to do."

"It's a little unconventional." Killian admitted, a hint of a smirk twitching at the corners of his lips. So that _was _when this typically took place. "We'll make do." He pressed his lips together for a long moment, before he opened it again to reveal a mouth full of sharp edged teeth.

"Wasn't expecting that." Emma said a little breathlessly.

Killian's lips parted to say something, but instead his eyes clenched closed, lips curled back in pain. He was trembling. Leaning into her arms for support. "This is wrong." He managed to get out through the pain that seemed to be coursing through him. He pulled her arms away from him, supporting himself.

"Tell me what you need to do" Emma whispered, stroking her fingers over his cheeks, wanting to soothe him. If this didn't work. These _were _his last minutes with her.

"I need you sitting in my lap–"

Emma's brows knit together. "I don't think you can do _that_."

"No." He cracked a faint smile, blinking his eyes again as he tried to focus on her. "You have to bite me too."

Her eyes widened. "_Oh_." She complied with his request, moving to carefully straddle him, trying to keep her weight off of him, not wanting to hurt him anymore than he already was.

Killian pressed his lips along her jaw, trailing down her neck, his breath hot against her skin. His arms curled around her, pressing her against him, despite the pain it caused him. "I love you." He told her, lips close to her ear.

"I love you too Killian." Emma whispered, blinking back tears. She _wanted_ this. Come hell or high water. She wanted this life with him. The thought of being without him didn't make sense to her. It was the first time in her life where the future didn't seem right without someone standing beside her. _Him_.

It hurt at first. Like a hundred tiny knives slicing through her skin. She felt the rush of blood, the press of his tongue against her skin as he lapped at the wounds he'd made. There was something strangely erotic about it. A pulse of desire that seemed to pass between them.

Emma's lips parted with a groan of pain and pleasure as her mouth _ached_. Her teeth felt angled and sharp, ready to tear into his skin the way he'd done to her. It shouldn't have made sense to her, but it felt like primal instinct. She trailed open-mouthed kisses down his neck, before she settled at the crook where his neck became his shoulder and she _sank_ her teeth into him.

That pulse of desire turned into something brighter, hotter, that seared through them both. Her shoulder burned white hot, his mouth still pressed to her skin.

They were one.

Killian's hands ran down her back, along her sides, pulling her even closer to him. She could feel him. Pressing up against the apex of her thighs.

It had worked.

Emma pulled back, lips smeared with his blood. Her teeth had returned to normal. So had his. A tremulous smile spread over her face, her eyes alight with sheer joy. Color had returned to his face. His eyes were bright blue again, flecked with light and something _more_.

Killian's hands settled at her hips, languidly moving to lay her back on the cool ground. Her legs were still locked around him, keeping herself pressed against him, rolling her hips upwards to _tease_ him. The desire coursing through them _both_ fueled their movements, burning bright in them.

Everything else fell away.

Bloodstained fingers pressed against pale skin, leaving little fingerprints as they shed their clothes, laying each other completely bare. There was no one else in the world except for them. Caught up in the hazy atmosphere of the moment. High on each other's blood.

Emma's fingers wound their way through the hair at the back of his neck as he thrust into her. There was something more to it this time. The bond they'd formed made it so much _more_. They could feel each other on levels that she hadn't thought possible, even in her wildest dreams.

His fingers bit into her hip, sure to leave bruises on her skin. Just another mark she'd relish. Another sign that she was his, that he was hers. _Completely_.

She reached for his hand as it skimmed up her stomach, lacing their fingers together, eyes focused on his face as he moved above her. His thrusts were urgent, filling her again and again. His eyes held hers, his lips curving upwards.

"You're mine."

Emma laughed, scraping her nails over the back of his neck. "I am. So long as you're mine."

"I am. _Forever_." Killian leaned down and claimed her lips.

Emma rolled them over, hands pressed against his chest as she drove herself down onto him. She could only marvel at the place where blood was smeared and drying on his skin, where the blade had been. There wasn't even a scar. Only the red marks her nails made as they scored down his abs, playing through the crisp hair that covered his skin.

They fell apart together. Falling into a heap of limbs and exhaustion, tangled in each other on the cold earthen ground. The worst was yet to come.

They weren't out of the woods yet.

But they were _together_.

Emma didn't know how much time had passed. Probably too much time, given what she knew was yet to come. _Tyr_.

"As much," Emma started, her hands trailing down Killian's back as she pressed her lips to the crook of his neck. "as I'd _love _to spend the rest of the evening like this, we need to get the pack out of here now."

Killian groaned, brushing his lips over the curve of her jaw. "We've probably already wasted far too much time reveling in this."

Emma smiled, feeling her cheeks go red as he pulled back to look down at her. They were covered in blood. His were stained cheeks with splotches of crimson, her own skin marked covered with red fingerprints wherever he'd touched her.

Killian rolled off of her, grabbing his torn and blood stained shirt, pulling it back on, before he stood to put his trousers on again.

"It's probably a good thing that Edric and Kyna didn't come back in to check on me," Emma remarked as she pulled her shirt on, fingers brushing over the bite on her shoulder. It hurt like a bitch and the fabric of her shirt rubbed right against it. But it was worth the pain. To know that despite what everyone had said, the two of them _were_ mates.

"They'd have got themselves an eyeful." Killian chuckled, winding his fingers through his dark hair as he looked her up and down. "Ready to rumble, love?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Emma put on a brave face, reaching out for his hand as they stepped out into the corridor. "It's not every day you feel like your life just became a blockbuster fantasy film."

Killian gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, before his eyes narrowed like something else had caught his attention.

"What is it?" Emma questioned, her brows knit together in concern. "What's wrong?"

"Sirens." His lips pressed into a thin line. "The police are here. Someone tipped them off about me being here."

"Wait, can you _hear_ them all the way down here?"

Killian grinned, nodding his head, before he pressed a finger to his lips to keep her quiet while he listened. "They're going to do a full sweep of the mansion. They're questioning the pack."

Emma's heart sank, "They're sitting ducks if they're up there. All fifty-eight of them are _not_ up there are they?"

He shook his head, "No. Only a few of them were above with Edric and Kyna." Killian tugged on her hand, "Come, we're going to go see the rest of them and make a plan. With the police up top there's no bloody way that we're going to get out of the mansion without getting caught."

"The police aren't going to be able to stop a bunch of _wolves_."

Killian met her eyes, "Emma, they have your car. There's no way for you to leave here with us. I'm not going to leave you here to fall prey to Tyr again."

"If worse comes to worse, I can handle him. Trust me." Emma said simply. "He has it out for _you_, not me."

"And you don't think he'll use you to get at me? He already has Emma." Killian's jaw set hard. "I'm not leaving unless you can leave with me. End of story."

Emma arched a brow at him, "Don't _end of story_ me, buddy. I've been able to take care of myself for twenty-eight years and I don't think that's changed all of a sudden." She narrowed her eyes, squeezing his hand tightly. "You're the one that I'm worried about."

Killian flashed her a small smile. "I know. I'm the damsel in distress in this story." He pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek, shaking his head with amusement plastered across his face. "Still don't get why he's zeroed in on me. I'm not even directly from Fenrir, which is who his great urge for revenge is aimed at."

"I think I know." Emma pressed her lips together as she thought back to Tyr's rant at Wayland's house. "He said something about being Odin's son. Apparently after he failed at binding Fenrir he lost Odin's favor. Do you think it has something to do with that?"

Killian gave her a skeptical look. "I don't know how much stock I want to put into the ravings of a mad man."

"But _you_ are related to Odin, Killian. What if Tyr's hated for you has something to do with that?" Emma released Killian's hand, covering her face with both hands as she let out a heavy sigh, trying to figure out what the connection was. "If he's Odin's son and you're the great-great-great-whatever grandson of Odin, that means Tyr's trying to kill part of his own family."

"I never thought that gods cared that much about family," Killian said a heavy sigh, raking his fingers through his hair. "But why the murders? Why kill people who looked like you because I had some _dream_?"

"Tyr said something about thinking that there weren't any Huldras left, like you had something to do with them."

Killian arched a brow, "Obviously I have something to do with _you_."

"Did Asmund _ever_ say something to you about Huldras?"

"I don't remember." Killian admitted, "I mean he told me a lot about _everything_. He rambled all the time. He always thought I was supposed to be the pack leader, not Edward."

"If the pack doesn't get slaughtered by Tyr, there's a good chance that _that _is going to happen, now that they you and I are… ya know." Saying _mated_ sounded really weird to say out loud. "I think Edward was supposed to kill you Killian."

"Not surprised by that, he always cursed the day I survived." Killian pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you think he was supposed to kill me because I'm a demigod or whatever?"

"It's possible." Emma shrugged her shoulders, her lips pressed into a thin line. "This is probably a ridiculous question –"

"Give it a go."

"How hard is it to get an audience with the gods?"

Killian's eyes shot wide at that. "Probably impossible and entirely insane."

Emma gave him a look. "But worth a shot?"

"Definitely worth a shot." Killian agreed with a slight chuckle. "If Odin's not paying attention to his psycho son, maybe someone should clue him in."

"Any idea how to contact a Norse god? I feel like that's not something easy to come by."

Killian shook his head, "Unfortunately I wouldn't even know where to begin with that. We haven't heard from the gods… since long before I was even mixed up with any of this. At least I thought." He laughed, scratching at the back of his neck. "Our best bet would be the library and we're not able to get up there right now."

Emma's brows rose upwards as a thought crossed her mind. "When I killed Edward, I heard Huldra… or at least who I believe was Huldra. Do you think she's a passage to the gods?" She questioned.

"I would imagine she dwells somewhere… up there… or wherever their plane of existence is." Killian offered, pushing his fingers through his hair with a look of confusion etched into his expression. "But couldn't you only hear her when you were going to _kill_ Edward. When she was trying to help you kill someone."

Emma met his eyes. "Do you think any of the pack's willing to be a guinea pig?" She asked hopefully, "Otherwise, I don't know how else to get to the gods before Tyr shows up to kill everyone."

Killian held out his hand for her to take, lacing his fingers with hers before he started leading them down the corridor. "I'm not sure Duncan's too keen about me after nearly choking him to death, but… He's always an option."

"Poor guy." Emma laughed, squeezing Killian's hand a little tighter as she kept at his side as they moved through the corridor towards a doorway which led into a large room, one filled with the wolves that weren't up top.

"Duncan!" Killian shouted, gesturing for the red headed man that sat near the back of the room with his head in the lap of petite woman with red hair nearly the same color as his. "We need your help." He said as he and Emma moved back towards where he was.

"I ain't bloody helping the man who nearly choked me to death." Duncan remarked, rising from where he was laying.

Emma forced a smile, "Then you're definitely not going to enjoy what we're going to ask of you."

Duncan met her gaze, "No. Probably not. What the hell do you want from me?"

"We need to get to Odin."

"I'm not the man for that." He remarked, moving to sit back down again. "I don't know a damn thing about chatting with the gods and I don't want to."

"You don't actually have to know how to talk to him, I just need to _almost_ kill you." Emma explained, her lips pressed into a thin line as she looked down at the wolf.

"What the fuck?" Duncan glared up at her, his brows furrowed together. "Are you fucking insane? Your boyfriend here already nearly _killed_ me, I'm not about to let you really kill me."

His mate rose to her feet then, levelling Emma with a cold glare. "I think the both of you have already caused enough trouble. Leave the gods out of this."

"I really wish that we could," Emma started, but Killian cut her off.

"We're about to have bloody god come at us with something that none of us can survive," He narrowed his eyes, "I think given the ruling the pack just decided, you should listen to me Marlie." Killian said firmly, "We need _someone_ who is willing to nearly be killed for a chance to contact the gods or we're all going to sit here and get slaughtered." His voice was strained, his hold on her hand tightening.

The red head – _Marlie_ – looked down at her mate before looking towards Killian again. "What sort of threat are we about to face?"

"Tyr," Emma explained, giving Killian a sideways look as she began to explain the situation. "He kidnapped me earlier today and had this witch cast a spell on me. Long story short, they took my blood and they're planning on using it to kill all of you."

"That would explain the blood." Duncan remarked, giving their stained garments a look askance.

"Actually, mate, that was the ever so charming Wayland who nearly killed me." Killian told him, gesturing to the tear his shirt where he'd been stabbed. "I might just be the only one here who's immune to Emma's blood."

"Which is why I need someone to let me _nearly_ kill them, so I can figure out if the voice in my head can actually get me to the gods."

Marlie let out a heavy sigh. "He's still recovering from what Killian did to him. Use me instead."

"Really?" Emma smiled a little more genuinely then. "Thank you."

"It's either sit here and get murdered for certain or try to keep it from happening, right?"

"_Aye_." Killian said. "We're going to have to find a room where we can be alone. Emma's not really in control of herself once it's happening.

The ginger headed werewolf hesitated, "What you're saying is that there's a chance I might not come back."

"It's not going to come to that." Emma said, though her voice didn't exactly exude assurance in herself.

Duncan rose to his feet then, wrapping his arms around his mate. "You don't have to do this Mar." He whispered warmly, nuzzling at her cheek. "I can't lose you."

"We know what Tyr can do to wolf packs without a Huldra's blood, I'd rather not sit here and wait to be slaughtered if there's even a slight chance we can stop it." Marlie silenced further protests from Duncan with a kiss, that made Emma look away – feeling as though she were intruding on a private moment.

_Think this will work?_

Emma's brows shot upwards as she turned to look at Killian. _What the hell?_

_So this is really a thing?_ Killian grinned at her. _Bloody hell._

_How is this even happening? How can I hear you like this?_

_Because of our bond. I know plenty of wolves that can do this with their mates, but I figured it was just a wolf-to-wolf._

She squeezed his hand, _I guess it works demigod to demigoddess too. _Emma knew that Kyna and Edric were able to communicate sort of like this, but she hadn't expected Killian's voice to be so loud and clear in her own thoughts. It was kind of jarring and a little unsettling, as well as incredibly cool. This was the sort of stuff she'd read in those cheap supernatural romance novels and scoff at. Mind reading? Thought sharing? _As if. _

_What?_

Emma gave him a look. _That wasn't meant for you. I don't know if I like this._

_Makes watching two people make out less awkward though._

She cleared her throat, trying to get Marlie and Duncan's attention. "We should probably get on this before it's too late." Emma said, knowing that I was rude to interrupt what could be the pair's last kiss… she didn't exactly know how good she'd be at fighting down the creature within her blood.

"Let's just get this over with." Marlie said with an aggravated huff as she stepped away from Duncan, her eyes lingering on him before she turned her attention back to Killian and Emma.

"Back to the scene of the crime?" Emma questioned Killian out loud, rather than using the weird communication system they had now. She figured it had its uses, but it was a little too much, too soon.

"Sounds like as good a place as any." Killian retorted as they headed out of the room with Marlie right behind them. The rest of the pack was watching and Emma swore she could feel every eye on her, the hostile, fearful, nervous energy that pulsed through the air. Would they _ever_ accept her? Especially if something went even marginally wrong with this half-baked plan she and Killian and concocted.

_What if I kill her?_

_You're not going to Emma. I know you won't._

_I killed Edward. _

_Emma, you can do this. Don't be afraid of what you are. You have to embrace it._

Emma shook her head, her lips pressed together. _You're just saying that because you can't be killed by me, apparently. _

_I said it before I knew that. I said it when all I wanted was to marking you as mine and I knew that beneath your skin was poison to me and my kind. I wasn't, nor will I ever be, afraid of you Emma. You're stronger than you think._

He had such unwavering faith in her. _I hope you're right._

_I know I'm right._

The three of them stepped into the room where Killian had nearly met his end.

"Such _marvelous_ smells," Marlie said sarcastically. "Blood and sex."

"Sorry," Emma said quietly, her cheeks going red as she looked towards the petite woman.

"Just get on with this."

Emma looked towards Killian for reassurance. "Alright." She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm her rapid heartbeat and even out her breathing, before she pressed her thumb into the palm of her hand, trying to draw blood to the surface again where she'd cut her hand before. She was going to have a scar at this rate and if it served a purpose, she didn't care. Because she had plenty of scars that held nothing positive about them and if this one held the fact that she'd saved an entire pack with it, then it was worth it.

Blood wet her palm and still she felt nothing. The rush of power she'd felt when Edward was attacking Killian wasn't there. She felt calm, albeit in pain.

"It's not working."

"What do you mean it's not _working_?" Marlie snapped.

Emma opened her eyes and glared at her, "I mean I don't feel like I want to _kill_ you."

Killian ran his hand over the small of her back. "Was it rage that got it going before?"

"Maybe? The urge to protect you from him?" Emma turned to look at Killian, her eyes searching his face. Maybe it was _him_. She'd had that pull to help him the entire time she'd been in town, maybe killing Edward like that had been because Killian was being threatened by him.

"Do you want me to attack him?" Marlie questioned, as if she were just waiting for that opportunity. "Because after what he did to Duncan, I think he deserves a few swings."

"It's worth a shot." Emma resigned, looking down at the blood in her palm. She didn't hear the sing-song voice, not like before.

Killian moved away from Emma, his eyes fixed on her face. "As soon as it happens, I'll be right there to hold you back, don't worry." He assured her, before his focused turned towards Marlie.

The redhead didn't even waste a second. She pounced, nearly knocking Killian off his feet. Which seemed to have been her intended action, as she fought to get him on his back on the ground.

She felt a stirring. A surge. She felt light headed, like she'd locked her knees and had been standing for too long. But she knew it was what she was.

Marlie finally managed to get Killian on the ground, straddling him as she punched him square upside the face. He let out a hiss of pain as he tried to shove her off, but she caught his arm and swung a second time.

_Killian_.

The voice had returned. She could hear _her_, the words archaic and familiar all the same. The melodies within the words resounded within Emma, making her feel, once again, as though she were no longer in control of her own actions.

Her vision faded away at the edges, her focus pulled towards the werewolf in the room. Emma hadn't even realized that Killian had knocked her off him and moved like a streak of lightening to hold her back. The urge to kill the woman before her made her stomach roll with disgust. She could remember the way Edward's breath had been hot against her palm, only to stop so abruptly.

The words were no longer archaic. She could hear them as clearly as Killian's voice had been in her thoughts.

_My child I am with you. This is what you were made to do_.

Emma felt like she was falling, the air cold against her skin.

_It's what I was made to do. But I refuse. I'm not here to kill._

_Then why are you here? _

_Killian and I need to see Odin. _

The voice laughed. _So you came to me? You want my help to save the wolves from Tyr?_

_No, I want your help to save Killian_. Emma admitted. It was only a partial truth. She cared about saving Killian from Tyr, first and foremost, and saving the wolves came second. Killian might have been immune to her blood, but that didn't mean that Tyr wouldn't find another way to make him suffer.

_I'm not very fond of love Emma._

_I know. I know. Your whole damn vendetta against wolves is because of Fenrir. I read that. I get that. But I wasn't very fond of love either. Not until I came here. Until I met him. I've been screwed over too. I was pissed off, but I never thought – hey, guess I'll kill all men now, because one guy fucked with my heart. _

There was silence then.

Instead of falling now she felt like she was floating. But even floating didn't seem to be the right word for it. Like _ascension_. Maybe that was the right word for it. Like her belly button was pulling upwards and she was going to hit the ceiling if there was one.

"Emma?"

Her vision slowly came back into focus.

"Emma wake up."

Her lashes fluttered as Killian came into view, standing above her with concern written all over his face. "What happened?"

"You did it." He told her, brushing his knuckles over her cheek. It was then she realized that they weren't in the cave like room that was carved into the ground beneath Lyndhurst. The space above them was bright with the strange colored sun that shone down on them and grass – like soft whispers – swayed in the light breeze.

"Where are we?" Emma questioned, sitting up slowly, trying to focus on the vast space around them.

"I believe this is Huldra's little niche of Asgard," Killian answered, offering her his hands to help her stand up.

Emma was a little unsteady on her feet as she drank in the world around her. It was a _literal_ world too. The meadow extended onwards for what seemed like eternity in one direction, while the other stopped abruptly at the edge of a dark forest.

"It's either bravery or foolishness that brought the two of you here."

They both turned to face the voice, the one that Emma had only heard in her head before now. The drawings they'd seen of Huldra hadn't been _exactly_ accurate. They had left out one little detail, the tail that hung out from beneath the white flowing gown she wore. But Emma could have been staring at herself. Like an elf she had ears with slight peaks. Her blonde hair was much longer than Emma's, flowing down her back in soft curls, with a crown of gold and flowers sitting atop her head.

"Bloody hell." Killian said in disbelief as he looked between the two women, "It's uncanny."

"Careful," She warned him, "Many men have died because they lusted for me."

Killian held his hands up in defense, "I wasn't _lusting_, I'll have you know. You might resemble her, but you're not Emma."

Emma reached out for one of Killian's hand, her fingers curling around his hand. "She's not going to hurt you." She said firmly, shooting her near-doppelgänger a look of contempt. "Where do we find Odin?"

Huldra gestured towards the edge of the meadow, "Beyond the forest in his castle with the silver roof among the clouds." Her eyes snapped back to look at the pair of them, a small smirk twisting at the corners of her lips. "Beware the forest though, it's filled with those who haunt your mind, the whispers that fill your heads with doubt." She pressed a single finger to her lips, before she vanished as though she were little more than the wind.

"I don't know how the hell these people get anything done," Emma said with a huff. "With their cryptic shit and their _poofing_ into the thin air." She sulked, her shoulders pitching forward as she looked towards the foreboding woods. "Let's get this over with." Emma started to trudge forward, but Killian held tighter to her hand.

"Not so fast, love." Killian said, his own expression haunted as he looked towards the trees. "I don't think either of us want to go in there."

Emma swallowed thickly as she stared at the dark copse of trees. She swore she saw something move, _someone_ familiar – someone that would have been one of those voices of doubt. "It's not about what we want to do, Killian… it's about what we _have _to do." She squeezed his hand tightly. "Don't let go."

Killian smiled a little as he met her gaze, "I won't if you don't."


	15. Chapter 15

The closer they got to the woods, the louder the voices were. At first they had been whispers, which Emma had been able to ignore, but then they grew louder. Then they were _shouting_. She wanted to cover her ears and try to block out the words, but that would mean letting go of Killian's hand and that was the last thing she wanted to do as the woods swallowed them whole.

It hadn't been a trick of her mind when she thought she'd seen _him_ moving between the trees. He was _really _there. Or at least as really there as anything that the forest had conjured up to deter them. He was breathing down her neck and shouting in her ear.

Words that threatened to pull her apart at the seams.

If the tears in Killian's eyes were any indication, then Emma knew that whoever he faced, whatever voices he heard, hit him where it hurt most. Just as _he_ was doing to her. It wasn't just Neal that that reminded her of how she was _nothing_, how he'd left her because of that fact, how she was nothing more than a pawn in his chess game, there were voices of past foster parents, people who had promised her homes, love, safety – only to cast her aside like yesterday's newspaper.

The doubt set in. It chipped at her heart, trying to wedge its way back in. How would any of this be any different? Sure, she'd chosen this mythical, magical bond with Killian, but did that mean that anything in the long run? She wasn't a wolf, not like the rest of the pack seemed to be – how would she ever fit in? Her home wasn't here, it wasn't with the man by her side. Her home was _alone_. Where she didn't have to worry about being left. Because she was stuck with herself.

The woods grew darker around her. She couldn't feel Killian's hand in hers. She didn't even know who had let go. Maybe it was him. Maybe his own past had caught up to him and reminded him why he was better off alone too. Just like hers had. Maybe she'd let him go.

Did it matter? It was dark all around her, like she'd fallen into the belly of the beast. The forest might have been nothing but towering trees that blotted out the sun, but it felt like a living, breathing, sentient being, that was hunting her down.

But wasn't the forest the place that the Huldra had tried to lure Fenrir into? Or had that been a cave? She couldn't think straight. Every thought she had was instantly met with doubt. Words whispered like knives in her skin, cutting at her, tearing into her, making her bleed with _doubt_.

"Stop!" Emma shouted, her hands going to cover her ears, but the sounds didn't stop and her words were lost among the trees. "Please stop." She whispered, feeling tears pricking at her eyes. She refused to cry over this. She refused to let the forest win. Whatever trick this was. Whatever test. She _refused_ to be controlled by someone else's game.

"What did you do with him?" She asked, her voice echoing down the path. The trees felt closer now, the path she took obscured by arching branches that swayed in an unfelt breeze. "Give him back." Emma's eyes strained in the darkness. "_Killian_!"

Silence.

_Emma_.

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard him, loud and clear, as if he was right there beside her. _Where are you?_

_Fuck if I know. I don't even remember letting go of your hand. _

Emma turned, her eyes straining in the darkness again, trying to find some figure in the shadows. He couldn't have gotten too far away from her. Could he? How far had the forest taken them from each other?

_Can you see anything?_

_No. It's just darkness. Darkness and the damned outline of trees and… others. _

_Do you see other people? _

_Aye. I keep seeing Milah and unfortunately, Edward. _

So it wasn't just her seeing people moving between the trees out of the corner of her eyes. Well, at least she wasn't going crazy… _yet_. If she stayed in the woods much longer, she had a feeling that insanity would find her in the darkness. It was oppressive and all consuming, like the words that kept biting into her thoughts.

_Huldra lured men into the woods right?_

_Right. _

_How? How could she possibly get anyone any in here if it was this dark?_

Killian fell silent. Seconds faded into minutes and for all she knew those minutes could have become hours without her even noticing. The shouting and the whispers made it hard to concentrate on one thought for very long… Emma tried to convince herself that _that_ was why she'd lost contact with Killian and not because something had be fallen him.

Emma bolted when she felt something brush against her back. It wasn't Killian. The weight of the touch had been wholly unlike Killian's. The last thing she wanted was for the figures at the edge of her vision to start touching her. Her running led to her tripping over a tree root or a foot that had meant to knock her off her feet. She wasn't certain. The darkness made it impossible to know the difference.

"Killian!" Emma cried out again, pushing herself up off of the ground. Silence. Save for the voices that crept ever close to her. "Killian where are you?" She shouted, trying in earnest to ignore the whispers that said he'd abandoned her, just like everyone. She was better off alone. At least _alone_ she could pull herself up, rather than waiting for someone to come along and help her up.

_Alone_.

Emma clenched her eyes shut, as if that alone would expel the darkness, but it only made it darker.

It wasn't Killian she should have been calling out for. It was the man, the voice, the shadow right behind her.

"Neal." Her eyes snapped open as his name left her lips and for the first time since she'd entered the forest, she could see. "You son of a bitch." Emma spat out, even though she knew he wasn't _real_. It was the forest's way of making her face the darkness that lay within her. The edges of her subconscious that always tried to blot out the light.

The mirage grinned at her. It was a sort of sickening smile, the very one that had once made her feel _loved_, but now she saw that he wasn't smile at her, but what she could bring. He had used her to buy his own way out of the shit he had in his life. That was the sort of smile that belonged to a sick, twisted, bastard who only saw what he could get out of a person, than the person themself.

"Didya miss me babe?" He questioned.

Emma shook her head. "Not one damn bit."

"Ah, but you think of me all the time." The apparition chuckled. "I can't do that because _he_ liked that. I can't go there because it reminds me of _him_. I can't possibly fall in love, because everyone will be just like _him_."

"That's not _missing_ you." She had gone insane. She was airing her grievances to a figure that didn't even _exist_. "That's _hating _you every second of every damn day of my life because you _fucked_ me over."

He laughed again. Hadn't he always laughed when she brought up _her _problems? He would rant for ages about how he'd dealt with so much in his life, oh _woe_ was him. Back then she'd been so young, so naïve, that she'd actually thought he was _cool_ because he'd been through so much. She hadn't realized that he would gaslight her at every turn.

"Fuck you." Emma all but _snarled_ out. "I'm sick and tired of you breathing down my neck, whispering in my ear. You don't get to control me. I'm done waiting for a second shoe to fall because of you." She was certain it was easier said than done, but that didn't seem to matter in the forest because _that _seemed to have been the key to unlock its control.

He lifted his hand, as if he were shielding his face from the sun, and brightness grew around her. The image faded from her view and instead it was replaced with Killian, standing in front of her facing her.

"_Emma_?"

"Please tell me you're real." Emma laughed a little, her eyes slowly adjusting to the brightness around them.

Killian smiled broadly at her, moving towards her then, "Aye. I'm most definitely real." He swept her up in his arms, pressing his face into the crook of her neck. "I didn't think we'd ever get out of there."

Emma wound her fingers through his dark hair as she held to him tightly. "Neither did I." She agreed, breathing him in. "I thought I was going to be trapped in here forever."

He pressed his lips to his shoulder where she bore his mark beneath the material of her shirt. "Did you have to face your fears?"

"Yeah." Emma pulled back, her eyes searching his. "That was a little too session-with-a-therapist for me." She remarked, brushing her fingers over his scruffy cheeks. "But strangely, I need that."

Killian arched a brow. "You needed to have it out with someone who wasn't even in your life anymore?"

Emma nodded slowly, a faint smile on her lips. "I did because he was still here." She reached down and took his hands in hers. "I might have pretended that he wasn't, that I was past the… _past_, but I wasn't." She laced their fingers together, holding his gaze. "None of that is going to interfere with _us_ anymore."

Killian smiled down at her. "Let's hope there aren't any more therapy sessions on this journey of ours." He said gently, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips. "Because I'd much prefer to leave the past in the past." He bumped his nose against hers before he brought her hands up to his lips, brushing his lips over each knuckle.

"Come on, let's get out of here before the forest decides we beat it too easily." Emma remarked, curling her fingers around his hand tightly as they started along the path towards the opening at the edge of the trees. "You ready to meet the patriarch of your family?"

He shrugged, "Not really family lass, he's just the god that I happen to be related to. Family would be if he'd stuck around and helped my life not be a damnable mess." Killian said dryly, rolling his eyes. "But apparently he's not too good at the interfamily relations."

Emma shook her head, "Guess he's what you'd call a god who falls asleep on the job."

Killian gave her a look, "You like Muse?"

She grinned. "Yeah. I saw them in concert when they came to Boston." Emma nudged him in the ribs. "They always act like all you guys who go _bump _in the night sit around in flouncy clothes and listen to… I dunno, phonographs and Mozart."

"The ominous _they_ get a lot of things wrong."

"Though," Emma started, giving him a sidelong look as they made their way out of the copse of trees and into yet another clearing, "cheap supernatural romance books did get the sex part pretty spot on."

Killian chuckled, "I'm glad that didn't disappoint." He let out a heavy sigh as he looked towards the skyline. "Bloody hell." He muttered, gesturing towards the tallest peak along the mountain range, at the top of the point sat a castle which bore a silver roof – like Huldra had said. "How the fuck are we supposed to get up there?"

Emma's hands went to her hips as she stared at the castle. "That looks _days _away." The forest had felt like it took _hours _to escape, when in actuality it probably barely been an hour. But time seemed to extend differently in Asgard than it did on earth. "And I'm definitely _not _prepared for mountain climbing." She sighed heavily, shaking her head in disappointment, "Apparently the gods don't care how far away everything is, because they get to poof themselves from place to place."

Killian's brows rose upwards. "You and I both are sort of… _demigods_. Right?"

"I guess. I mean, Huldra's a goddess of sorts and obviously you're related to Odin." Emma had to laugh at the way that sounded. In a matter of a few days she'd found herself talking about gods and goddesses with the same ease she had when she talked about her job. "What are you thinking?'

"Maybe we can do the transportation thing?" Killian suggested, raking his fingers through his hair. "Or we'll look like complete and utter fools."

Emma's brows furrowed together and she shook her head. "I don't think that's in the realm of possibility for me. I couldn't even get us _here _without having you be in danger of getting killed by another wolf." She wasn't _that_ good. "And aside from you turning into a wolf at will and being able to talk in my head, have you ever felt like you could do _more_?"

"No." Killian admitted, hanging his head. "But I've also never been to Asgard before and somehow I get the impression that it would be a bit more charged than just _earth_ is." He rubbed at the back of his neck, eyeing the mountain top again. "I mean, we either try to sort out if we've got god powers or we sit down and wait until Odin notices that there's a wolf in Asgard and sends the Valkyries after me." He widened his eyes dramatically, "Because I get the impression that he might not _know _I even exist."

Emma made a face, "I'd prefer if the Valkyries stayed out of this." Though, what they'd said about her killing Killian hadn't come true, because he couldn't _technically_ die by her hand or blood. "So what are you saying we should do? Concentrate on that peak up there and hope both of us end up there?"

"Something like that." Killian reached for her hand, "Don't let go love."

"Wasn't planning on it." Emma retorted, lacing her fingers with his. She felt absolutely ridiculous standing there in the middle of a field, staring at a castle that sat among the clouds, _willing _herself to somehow, magically, end up there.

She cracked one eye open, only to find them _still_ standing in the middle of the field, having moved nowhere. "It's not working."

"Try _harder_." Killian told her, squeezing her hand tightly.

"If I try any harder I'm going to give myself a _headache_, Killian." Emma said tersely, giving his hand a squeeze of her own. "I give up. This isn't going to work."

Killian sighed heavily, turning to look at her with an almost apologetic look. "Well, it was worth a try." He looked towards the castle again. "What's the point of having gods' blood if it doesn't do a damn thing for you?"

Emma chewed on her bottom lip, watching him as he stared up at the mountain top. "We're just going to have to go by foot. Come on." She brushed her hand down his arm, giving him a gentle tug.

"You know, this could be a _terrible_ idea."

"Oh, I know it is, but we're here and we're doing this." Emma said firmly. "You're not getting out of this."

Killian shook his head, "I wasn't trying to get out of this, lass. I'm not about to lay down and show my belly for Tyr. This is our only chance of stopping him." His shoulders sagged, "It's just _frustrating_ that we're in the middle of fucking _Asgard_ and we have to climb a mountain by foot to _maybe _have a chat with Odin."

Emma arched a brow, "Well, they probably weren't expecting mere mortals to come up here and pester them."

"We're not _mere mortals_," Killian reminded her, narrowing his eyes. "We're both bloody demigods."

"But apparently not _enough_ of a demigod to have all of their flashy abilities." Emma pursed her lips, crossing her arms across her chest. "With our luck, if we could do that vanishing trick, we'd end up far from where we want to go."

Killian made a face, "That's the last thing we need, really." He laughed a little, before he started to move. "You're right though, there's no point in us just standing around and bemoaning our disadvantage. I don't know if night falls here in Asgard, but I'd rather not be stuck out here in the open when it does."

Emma scrunched up her nose, "Please tell me there's nothing else we should be worrying about, aside from creepy forests and killer warrior fairies." She lamented. "Because I don't think I can take much more."

"Honestly I don't have a clue what else we should be worried about." He admitted, wrapping his arm around her waist as they started towards the mountain. "I never thought I'd _see_ Asgard."

"I keep expecting to see Thor or Fandral." Emma leaned towards Killian as they walked. "My friend's boyfriend looks just like him. We've watched it like _ten_ times just to drive him crazy." She smiled a little, easily able to picture Killian at her side as she and Mary Margaret tormented David for the eleventh time. "I can't wait for you to meet them."

Killian turned and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Emma could feel the way he'd tensed, she could feel a sort of hesitation settling in on her skin.

"We can move the pack to Boston." When they got back from this trip, they'd have to figure out where they stood within the pack – if they wanted him to be Alpha or not. "Or… I can move wherever you're planning on taking them."

Killian sighed heavily, kicking at a rock that was in his path as they moved. "I'd been so keen to shove off and leave the pack. Living with you in Boston sounds like _heaven_, but… my pack." He tightened his hold at her waist. "But I'll give it up, if that's what you want me to do."

"No!" Emma said almost too quickly. "The pack was your family first. I'm not going to take that from you."

He shook his head, "What's the point of having a pack if what you really want has plans to live elsewhere?"

"I've moved around a lot Killian. Moving again wouldn't be that big of a deal. Plus, with the hand invention of cellphones and texting and Facebook, I'll be more than capable of keeping in touch with my friends."

"That's not fair to you," Killian said gently. "Your friends clearly care about you."

"How do you know? They could easily be fairweather friends." Emma said defensively, even though it _wasn't _true. The pair of them had been the closest thing she'd had to _best_ friends since she was a kid.

"Because I heard them on the phone when the lass called to check in on you." Killian reminded her, his brows rising upwards knowingly. "See, you've got friends who care about you and I'm not interested in letting you lose them because my pack's just finally decided I'm worth talking to." He chuckled, "Unless this is your way of telling me your apartment really does have a strict no pet rule."

Emma laughed louder than she had in a _long_ time. Only he would try to divert the seriousness of their conversation with a quip about her apartment and its pet rules. "Did you think I was kidding when I told you there is a strict no pet rule? I was being serious." She shook her head, "But if that were actually in the realm of problems, I'd moved." She chewed on her bottom lip, turning her head to look at him. "Because if you _really_ love someone, making changes in your life for them shouldn't be that difficult to make."

"_Exactly_. Which is why if the pack doesn't roll with my plans for them as Alpha, I'm out." Killian said with smile. "I love you too. It's nice to hear that when I'm not bleeding out."

She shook her head, her gaze dropping to his pretty much destroyed shirt. "I can't believe how quickly you healed up from that."

"What can I say? Having a mate is a marvelous thing," Killian said with his typical grand bravado. "See _that_ is worth leaving my pack for."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm still going to be your _mate_ whether we're here – with your pack – or back in Boston." She pressed her tongue to the inside of her cheek, "I mean, could you join the pack in Boston? Is that even a thing you could do?"

"It would honestly depend on the situation." Killian admitted, pushing his fingers through his hair. "I mean, Boston's a pretty active hive supernatural groups. They just might not be keen about having you around, that's the problem. I'd have to be packless." He shrugged. "But that's neither here nor there, because right now we're in Asgard and I'm about to come face-to-face with a god that's not a big fan of Fenrir's lot."

Emma's brows furrowed together. "Let's hope for the best." She brought them to a stop and leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek. "I'm feeling _really_ good about this. We're going to get Tyr's ass whipped and then you're going to get recognized for being Odin's great-great-great-great-whatever grandson."

"Let's hope that feeling of yours is right."


	16. Chapter 16

Darkness fell upon Asgard and they were still _nowhere_ near the mountain's base. It felt like every time they got closer, the mountain grew further away. Emma was certain that _that_ part was just in her mind, she was exhausted and so was Killian, and the journey seemed neigh close to possible.

"The last thing I wanted to do was camp out here tonight." Killian lamented as he all but collapsed back onto the ground, tucking his arms beneath his head. "In the bloody grass."

Emma moved to lay beside him, resting her head on his chest. "Didn't you say you were used to camping outside?"

"Aye, but that doesn't mean I _enjoy_ it. Besides, I typically shifted into my wolf form." He explained, prying one arm out from beneath his head to wrap around her.

"You _can_ shift if you want to," Emma told him, tracing her fingers over one of the tears in his shirt. "I don't mind."

Killian shook his head. "I'd much prefer just laying here with you, lass." He told her, drawing his hand over her back, "I thought we'd be up there by now. With our luck, we'll wake up and find ourselves even _further_ away from the castle."

"We have had some pretty astoundingly bad luck," Emma laughed a little. "It's been a non-stop rollercoaster ride since I rolled up into town." She tilted her head to look at him, "You know, it's pretty ironic… I passed a sign for Valhalla, New York on my way into town. Now I'm laying here in Asgard with _you_."

Killian wound his fingers through her hair, "You know more about Norse mythology than you've led me to believe."

Emma grinned, "Everything I know came straight from Thor, you may thank Marvel for casting _gorgeous_ men in that movie." She teased, lifting her hand up to brush over his cheek. "Though that was when fictional men and I lucked out and got a _very_ handsome real one."

Killian snorted, shaking his head. "Nice save there." He turned his head and nipped at her fingertips. "They make all the _gods_ lust worthy and they make us wolves like hairy monstrosities."

Emma arched a brow, trying not to laugh. "I mean, you do have a _lot_ of hair." She pointed out, brushing along the curve of his neckline where his hair peeked through. "Werewolves aren't _always_ ugly. There was this one hot one that was this show called _Dark Shadows_. I can't even remember the actor's name… David Selby maybe?"

"Are you trying to make me jealous or…?" Killian remarked, puckering out his bottom lip. "Because it's working."

Emma leaned up and kissed him, "_Maybe_ I was, but… they're not real and you are." She kissed him again, "Can't let you get too much of an ego though, _darling_." She teased, doing a horrible impression of his accent.

"I don't sound like that." He scrunched up his nose, shaking his head. "_Darling_."

"You know, I was _never _one for pet names like that. I'm pretty sure I'd punch anyone else if they started with the sweethearts, darlings, love, and so forth." She made a face, "The one that I saw in the forest, he used to call me things like babe and baby. I'm not _against_ them, to each his own, but he was _much_ older than me and looking back." She shuddered. "_Sorry_."

Killian stroked her arm gently, "Don't apologize. I hope you know you can talk to me about all of that or not. I'm here to listen."

Emma smiled warmly at him, "I know you are. Just like I'm here for you." She lifted her hand to touch her shoulder where he'd bitten her. "I think I made a pretty significant gesture that I'm here for the long haul." She said.

Killian kissed the top of her head. "I'm still in bloody awe of the fact that that _really_ happened."

"So am I." She chewed on her bottom lip, wincing a little at the twinge of pain she still felt there from where she'd made it bleed earlier. "People who know me _know_ I don't… I don't do this. I'm a one night stand kinda girl, I don't… _love_." Emma admitted, "But here you are and here are these feelings that just feel _right_."

"I get that," Killian said with a warm smile, his fingers trailing over her arm. "I'm not unlike you in those regards."

"What was _she _like?" Emma questioned, "You mentioned that she was the person you saw in the woods."

Killian's expression faltered. "We were both using each other. Whatever I convinced myself was _real_ was no more real than what she'd convinced herself was real. It was a stilted relationship built on a need to _not _be alone. I invested more into that relationship than I should have, I forgave faults and trespasses that I should have never glanced over. I'm sure she knew what her husband was involved in. How could you not know that the man you had a kid with was working to kill werewolves and close down rum-runner establishments?"

Emma moved to lay on his chest more so she could reach up and stroke his cheek. "I'm sorry Killian." She whispered, leaning up then to press a kiss to his lips. "We both tried to make things work with people who were just using us."

Killian lifted his hand and wound his fingers through her hair as he brushed his lips over hers. "That's basically what the forest tried to convince me, that you were just going to use me like everyone else has. That I'm just something to be kicked around."

Emma trailed her lips along his jawline, her fingers still gently tracing over his cheek. "Well, I promise you I'm not just using you. I wouldn't still be here if I was." She promised him, curling herself around him in a clumsy sort of hug. "You're stuck with me."

Killian turned his head and nipped playfully at her bottom lip. "I like the sound of being stuck with you." He drawled out, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly. "We should rest."

She laughed. "I wasn't _trying_ to start something." Emma gave him a pointed look, "Don't make me sleep way over there or something." She teased. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been _this_ happy, except with him. There was something about the way his eyes lit up as he looked at her and the way his lips curved upwards into a smile at her stupid quips, that made her heart beat faster.

"I'll behave!" Killian laughed, even as his hands slid down her back and rested on her ass. "But once we get home, all bets are off."

Emma narrowed her eyes. "When we get _home_, we're going to probably be thrust back into the thick of things with the mess Tyr has caused for us." She was barely able to keep from grinning. "You're insatiable aren't you?"

Killian clicked his tongue against his teeth. "I mean have you seen _you_? You get me stirring in _all_ the right ways."

She slapped him playfully on the chest. "_Behave_ Killian."

He smirked. "I'm not doing anything."

Emma rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous." She quipped, before shifting to rest her cheek against his chest, curling herself atop him. He was _very _comfortable for someone who was mostly muscle and power. "_Sleep_."

"I am. I am." He said with a chuckle, letting out a heavy sigh as he settled more comfortable on the grassy ground beneath him.

Sleep came surprisingly easy. The air was cool and comfortable as it blew through the meadow and Killian's arms gave her a feeling of protection that lulled her to sleep. Morning came far too soon, the washed out sun shining on her face and warming her skin.

Emma stretched, blinking as she turned her face into Killian's chest, trying not to blind herself first thing in the morning. Her heart lurched when _something_ stepped into the sun's path, casting a shadow over her face.

_Killian wake up_.

He shifted beneath her, his arm curling around her waist tightly. _Given the tone of your voice I'm going to assume this isn't a good morning sunshine wake up_.

_Not even. Someone's watching us._

Emma barely had time to register what Killian was doing. One minute she was draped atop him and the next he had her on her back and he was leaping to his feet in his wolf form. Emma blinked rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the bright world, focusing on the figure that Killian was growling at.

"Killian no!" Emma shouted, fumbling to her feet as she moved to stand at his side. It was Huldra.

"Can you _please_ silence the beast?" Huldra said crisply, glaring down the end of her nose at him. "It is far too early to tolerate that growling."

Emma smoothed her hand over Killian's head, squatting down beside him then. "Easy boy." She said gently, noting the way the wolf trembled with aggravation. Killian had been prepared to fight and adrenaline, Emma assumed, had probably flooded his system in that moment. "She's not going to hurt us… I hope." She gave Huldra a wary look.

"I wouldn't hurt you no, my dear. But him… _oh_, I wouldn't be so sure."

Killian growled and Emma flicked the end of his nose. "_Behave_." She warned him, a little enamored with the way he lowered his head in submission, leaning into her arm. "How long were you watching us?"

"Long enough to acquire an upset stomach due to your pathetically winsome cuddling." Huldra sneered. "It's a true shame that an heiress of mine would be so taken by one of Fenrir's." She tsked quietly.

Emma rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to Killian. "I think it's safe now boy, you can turn back." It was _really _hard not to talk to him like he was a dog.

_I'll stay just like this until she's gone._

Emma arched a brow at the canine who was giving her a look that was oh-so Killian. "Really?"

_Really_.

Huldra clear her throat, "You know, I'd expected the pair of you to already be up in the clouds with Odin, begging for him to show some sort of favor for his dear _great-great-great-great_… grandson."

"We would already be up there if it wasn't such an arduous journey." Emma remarked, glaring at her near-doppelgänger. "How is that I can kill people like you, but I can't do that… _poofing_ thing?"

She gave a soft musical chortle at that, "You _both_ should be able to do that, if you're not, then you aren't doing it right." Huldra smirked a little. "Though it was quite comical to watch the pair of you stand and look towards the mountain yesterday."

Emma narrowed her eyes. "You've been watching us?" Killian growled and Emma patted his head to quiet him.

"After you got through the woods I felt compelled to take a peak and see how you were faring. I'm impressed, few people make it through the woods without going completely mad. Either you're both already under lunacy's hold or you're both stronger than you think." Emma was getting tired of Huldra's riddle-style way of speaking.

"_Anyways_." Her brows rose upwards, "Strength and lunacy aside, how about you share the secrets to the _poofing_ thing?"

"What secrets?" Huldra crossed her arms across her chest in a stance that Emma knew all too well. "You are both demi-gods and should possess the ability, if you don't then that's unfortunate for the pair of you. It's a long way up that mountain on foot."

Killian barked, his lips curling back to show his teeth.

_Killian behave!_

_She's on my last nerve._

_Tough shit. Behave._

Emma sighed heavily, "Look, we _tried_ that route and it didn't work. Can't you get us up there some other way?"

"Why should I help you?"

"Because I'm related to you and _family_ is supposed to stick together." Emma said, her voice a little strained. Referring to this woman as family was stretching it, but her blood did run through her veins, whether she had known her before now or not.

Huldra's gaze raked over Emma, eyes narrowing her gaze flickered towards Killian. "My line has already been sullied by that mutt," She started, fixing her eyes on Emma's then. "Might as well treat him like family too, hmm?"

Emma arched a brow. "That would be preferable, yeah." She looked down at Killian. "I think it's safe for you to turn back into your human form." She told him, watching as he shifted from his canine figure back into a man. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought she would see something like that.

_If she tries anything._

_Killian. Chill. _

"What do we need to do?"

Huldra sighed heavily, waving in their direction. "Take each other's hands." She ordered as she stepped towards them, reaching out for Emma's free hand. "You'll feel nauseous your first time." She warned them.

In a flash of white light they vanished. Huldra hadn't been lying when she said it would make them feel sick. Emma felt a rush of nausea as air rushed past her face, that unfamiliar sensation of falling and flying invading her system. She held tighter to Killian's hand, as the collided with the ground. Huldra shrieked a series of archaic curses (Emma assumed they were curses) as she too fell with them.

"Sorry." Emma mumbled as she covered her mouth as she released their hands.

Killian looked pale, his eyes a little unfocused as he rolled onto his back. "Bloody hell."

Emma grimaced. "I'm glad I can't do that." She rubbed at her face. "I can now say for certain I know what a Portkey feels like." She glanced towards where Huldra had been standing, only to find that she'd already gone. "I guess we're up here now." Emma said with a strained laugh as she started to sit up, rubbing at her forehead.

"You alright?" Killian questioned as he sat up, stretching his arms out over his head.

"Never been better." Emma said smartly, giving him a sideways look. "I _really_ hope Odin's a little friendlier than everyone else has been."

Killian chuckled, "Especially since your _great great great_ grandmother is so charming."

"You're the one who kept growling at her."

"I didn't like the way she was looking at us."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Come on. Let's get this over with." She said as she stood up, offering Killian her hands to help him up.

The castle loomed above them. It was even larger than it had seemed down below. The turrets extended upwards into the clouds and she could only _barely_ see the silver roof above.

There was something cryptic about what Huldra had said to her, that she didn't dare voice out loud. Had the fates – or whatever the Norse called them – clued her into something that even she didn't know about yet? That was _not _something she even wanted to humor the idea of. She could envision herself with Killian for the rest of her life, but she couldn't imagine their life with the addition of anyone else. More than likely she'd just misunderstood the woman's obnoxious use of riddles.

"Look at us, meeting our long lost relatives all in one visit to Asgard." Killian said with a nervous laugh and forced enthusiasm. "I don't even know what to expect." He added as they walked towards what appeared to be the main entrance of the castle.

It was guarded. Valkyries hovered above the ground by the grand doorway, armed with blades and maces, like they had been when they had first encountered them.

"Oh, lookie here," One of them said, her fingers curling around the hilt of her sword. "The wolf and the nymph. We'd thought you'd be dead by now."

Killian snorted, "Yeah well, guess the Moirai had a chat and decided I get to live to see another day." He squeezed Emma's hand tightly, his shoulders level and tense. "I'm here to see Odin."

"He's _here to see Odin_." One of the faerie creatures mocked, letting out a cackle of laughter that was something like fingernails on a chalkboard. "A wolf wants to have an audience with Odin."

Emma stepped forward a little, "No. A wolf doesn't wish to seek audience with Odin, an heiress of Huldra does and an heir of Odin does." She said tersely, not interested in dealing with these warrior annoyances.

There was a collective sound of surprise among them, before the convened together, speaking in tongues Emma couldn't even begin to identify.

"How do we know you're not lying?"

"You know I'm not lying." Emma said, showing off the tattoo on her wrist. "He's with me and _I _seek an audience with Odin."

One of the Valkyries flew towards them in a blur of movement and proceeded to pat them down, her little hands seeking to find some concealed weapon on them.

"Ow!" Killian hissed, making a pained faced, "Careful with the goods there _gnat_."

Emma bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Now that you see we don't have any weapons are you going to make this happen?"

They spoke in their own language again, different voices, high and lone, arguing amongst themselves before one flew forward to address them. "We will let you on the stipulation that if _he_ tries anything; be it harm Odin or piss on the rug, we kill him."

"I'm not going to fucking piss on a rug!" Killian protested and Emma gave him a silencing look. It was a blessing that _one _ofthem could be diplomatic.

"Deal." Emma said quickly before any of them could change their minds.

"You'll have to change." A Valkyrie said, rubbing her hands together. "Odin's very traditional when it comes to his court."

"Whatever we have to do to see him, we're up for it."

By _traditional_ Emma had assumed that he wanted them to wear robes or something "official" looking, but instead several of the Valkyries led them into an antechamber where they produced several outfits that looked like something straight out of an episode of _The Vikings_. They left the pair of them in the room to dress, giving them a modicum of privacy.

"You look ridiculous." Emma said to Killian as she watched him fiddle with the clasp on his rustic leather vest that he'd pulled on over a rough tunic.

Killian made a face, "It's not fair. Why've I got to wear the shirt made out of… _potato _sack cloth?"

"I don't think its potato sack cloth." Though it _did _look a little like smoothed her hands over her simple blue dress which had intricate trim work down the front where the ties were. "At least the Norse weren't big on corsets or cinchers."

"That's the _worst_ part of it. You could have been in that. I'd have been thrilled. I would suffer in this if it meant you were suffering too."

Emma arched a brow. "So romantic."

Killian scratched at his cheek. "It sounded better in my head."

"Sure it did." Emma teased, moving to stand in front of him, running her hands along his shoulders. "I see how it is now. You want me to suffer if you're suffering." She leaned up and kissed him. "I'll make it up to you."

Killian smiled at her, lifting his hand to stroke her cheek, "That sounds like fun."

Emma smirked, running her hands down his chest. "What can I say? I think this outfit looks _amazing_ on you." She winked before pulling away, glancing at her reflection in the mirror before moving towards the door. "We're ready." She informed the Valkyries who stood outside the door waiting for them.

The Valkyries led them through long corridor after long corridor, winding through the maze-like castle, which was clearly designed to confuse and waylay any intruders. The very heart of the castle was simply designed, the architecture rudimentary and ancient, but ornately decorated with rich green fabric and shimmering silver details.

At the center of the chamber sat a platform where the throne sat. The god-king sat upright upon it, before rising as they approached.

Odin was not at all what Emma had expected him to look like and given the look on Killian's face he hadn't been expecting it either. He was clad in armor, as though he were prepared for battle. He was far younger than Emma had anticipated – history books and illustrations always made him out to be some wizened king-like figure, hunched over with a gray beard like an aging Gandalf. But instead he stood tall and proud, dark hair with a slight curl to it, blue eyes, and a striking resemblance to Killian.

"And _what_ can I do for the pair of you?" He asked as he looked down upon them from the throne platform.

Emma opened her mouth to speak, but Killian stepped forward instead. "We have come to beg for your help." He said, bowing as he looked up at Odin. "Your son –_ Tyr_ – he has taken it upon himself to make my life a living hell."

"He was instructed long ago to protect Midgardians from Fenrir's kin." Odin explained, fixing his icy stare on Emma. "Something a Huldra should understand."

She laughed nervously, "It's not that simple." Emma gave Killian a sideways look. "I'm afraid you haven't been paying attention."

"I _haven't_ been paying attention?" Odin gritted out. "Oh my dear, if only you knew how closely I've been paying attention."

Emma scoffed. "_Please_. If you were paying attention then you would know that Tyr has been _murdering_ 'Midgardians' under your nose. So much for paying attention." Killian's fingers curled around her wrist.

Odin narrowed his eyes, "Tyr has _killed_? For what cause?"

"Ruination of my life? Pretty sure that's his cause."

"You were not born of Fenrir, you were made…" Odin said, studying Killian and Emma closely. "What vendetta does he have against you?"

Killian pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek. "You're right, I wasn't born of Fenrir – I was born of _you_."

"_What_?"

"Your son Sigi."

Odin stiffened. "I have no son by the name of Sigi."

Emma shook her head, "We know you _had_ a son named Sigi. He was banished wasn't he? One of your favorites too."

"You claim to be of Sigi's line?"

Killian shrugged, "Asmund Rife wrote of it. He explained that Sigi had a son named –"

"Rerir." Odin interrupted. "His line was cursed with strife."

"Sure as hell was," Killian remarked snidely. "I'm apparently one of his kids' kids' kid. Or however it bloody works out."

Odin's expression fell, the color fading from his cheeks as he moved to sit down in his throne. "I had believed that if no one spoke of Sigi's existence that the curse would be unknown to my other children."

"Well that didn't work."

"I am _sorry_ for what you have endured _Cellach_." Odin said and his voice wavered with emotions he tried to conceal from his face. "But you have been _blessed_." He looked towards Emma then and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. "The strife will end now. Many years ago the Moirai believed that a child would come to end the torment Sigi's line. It was of course believed to be a false prophecy because _how_ would a child be born of Fenrir, Odin, _and_ Huldra?" The god-king scrubbed his hand over his face, expelling a heavy breath as he sank back into his throne.

Emma's brows knit together as his words sunk in, mingling with the questions she had from Huldra's comment about her _sullied_ line. It made sense now.

"Why couldn't someone have just _told_ us this?" Emma questioned, reaching down blindly for Killian's hand. "Instead of allowing Tyr to murder in the name of preventing it?"

"Because Tyr was a man blinded by jealousy. Which is why I ignore his existence." Odin explained, shaking his head solemnly. "And now I see that ignorance leads to great misfortune. But I cannot wholly be distraught… had Tyr not learned of your existence, there may not be this chance to unify our peoples."

Emma swallowed thickly, her hand subconsciously going to her stomach as she looked up at Odin. He nodded, affirming her suspicions.

Killian turned to look at her, his gaze dropping to where her hand rested against her stomach. "You _mean_…?"

"Yes, Cellach, you have sired a child that is meant to end the war between our peoples. He or she must be protected at all costs."

Emma swallowed thickly. "None of us are safe back on Earth. Tyr plans to murder Killian's pack at dawn. He has my blood." She was a master at compartmentalizing. For now this talk of a baby could be boxed away while they focused on the most _pressing_ issue. The imminent fate of the pack. "I don't know what he has planned to do with me."

Odin looked between the two of them, "And _you_ are immune to her blood?"

Killian pulled his gaze away from her stomach to look towards Odin. "Aye. Emma and I are mates and her blood brought no harm to me." He stepped closer to her, curling his arm around her protectively.

"You remind me _so_ much of Rerir and his wife." Odin mused, a faint smile on his lips. "So _utterly_ in love." He sank down onto his throne, fingers steepled in front of him as he rested his elbows on the arms of his throne.

Emma's brows rose upwards. "That's nice and all… but time is kinda of the essence."

Odin held a hand up. "Time passes quite differently here. By the time you return to Midgard they'll barely know you were gone."

"How do we defeat Tyr?" Killian questioned, trying to keep the god focused on the task at hand. "He's full blooded god, I doubt I would be much of a match against him."

"There are prophecies that believe that Tyr is destined to die by an attack by one of Hel's hounds." He explained, stroking his scruffy jaw as he spoke. "Though that is just _interpretation_. The prophecy simply mentions a hellacious hound."

"So it _could_ be Killian that kills him?"

"Indeed." Odin said, lost in thought. "It could be yet another reason why he is so desperate to kill you and your kind. He knows that one day his time will come at your hand and he is trying to rewrite the pages as he goes."

"Does he have a weak spot?" Emma question, her brows knitting together as she turned to look towards Killian. "I'm kinda wary about sending Killian in without him knowing how to take down Tyr. He has a witch on his side and the Headless Horseman…. And a hell of a lot of cops who are out to throw Killian in jail."

"No. Not physically. Mentally he is rage distracts him." He explained. "I'll take care of the police." Odin announced as he rose to his feet, moving down from the platform. "They won't bother you again. While I cringe at the thought of interfering with Midgardian life, it is worth the gripe I'll hear from the Moirais." He chuckled, striding towards Killian and Emma. "It wouldn't be the first time I've gone against general consensus to protect my kin."

Killian smiled, "Kinda the first time anyone's _really_ wanted to treat me like family."

Odin extended his hand and Killian took it. "You're the closest thing I have now to a son I loved deeply." He looked to Emma then, a kind smile on his wise face. "I will summon Huldra to my court today and discuss with her your abilities. I would imagine you don't wish to _want_ to kill wolves if you're going to be a mother to one."

Emma pressed her lips together and nodded slowly. "_No_. I don't want to hurt _our_ baby, but… I'm not afraid of what I am. I think I can control it. If I'm going to be in this world for the rest of my life, I want to be able to protect _my_ family." Emma said, reaching down to take Killian's hand and curling their fingers together.

"Very well," Odin said, squeezing Emma's shoulder. "Go with the gods and prepare for Tyr's arrival. I can send you both back to Midgard, time will barely have passed sense you left. I will take care of the legal matters, but you must take care Tyr yourself. I _cannot_ kill a god."

"Thank you." Killian said, letting out a breath that sounded like he'd been holding in for a while.

Odin clapped his hands together and a sound shook the room around them, like a clap of thunder only ten times louder. The room flooded with emerald light, so bright that Emma had to shield her eyes.

Emma had more questions now than she'd had to begin with. Sure, some – _many_ – of her original questions had been answered, but now she was left wondering what came after this? Would they be thrust into more dangerous situations if their _child_ was supposed to bring peace between warring factions? What would their child _be_? A hybrid version of a demi-god, a werewolf, and a Huldra? Were there more gods like Tyr who wanted to prevent the fulfillment of the prophecy?

Her mind spun with questions as the world spun back into view around them. They were back in the cave like room beneath Lyndhurst. Duncan and Marlie stood exactly where they'd been before, staring in complete and utter awe as Killian and Emma appeared before them, dressed in the most _ridiculous_ looking outfits.

"I think it bloody worked." Duncan remarked, a jeering sort of laugh escaping his mouth. "Glad to know Asgards a few hundred centuries behind us in fashion."

Emma clenched her eyes closed, wishing that the world would stop spinning around her. "_Fuck_." She hissed out, pinching the bridge of her nose before she looked down at her clothes. "I really liked those jeans." She lamented.

"They were blood stained." Killian reminded her, running his hand along her shoulders. "You alright?"

"I really hate the way that makes me feel."

"Did you talk to Odin?" Marlie questioned.

"Aye." Killian said, his brows knitting together as he reached for the chain that hung around his neck. "What the hell is this?" He asked, more to himself than to them (they wouldn't know what it was, now would they).

Emma turned to him, reaching up to take hold of the emerald amulet that sat against his chest. "Parting gift from Odin?"

"I think it's a way to kill Tyr."


End file.
